


Yosuke and the Magic Lamp

by artikgato



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Alternate Universe, Inspired by Aladdin (1992), M/M, cameos from minor characters in persona 4, cameos from persona 2, cameos from persona 3, cameos from persona 5, cameos from revelations: persona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-08-19 23:43:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 89,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20218237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artikgato/pseuds/artikgato
Summary: Yosuke is a simple unlucky orphaned thief that steals to feed himself and his younger brother, Teddie, but he's about to get involved in a crazy adventure that involves a magic lamp, a scheming royal adviser, the Velvet Room, and a certain silver-haired princess that may not be quite what she seems...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to finally start posting this! It is of course heavily based on Aladdin (the 1992 Disney animated one), but also takes inspiration from the live-action remake that came out this year. Rather than having the setting be Arabia, though, I decided to have it set in Feudal-era Japan, so there are going to be obvious changes, as you'll see in this prologue chapter. 
> 
> Even though there are cameos from a lot of Persona 5 characters in this prologue chapter, they don't show up in the main bulk of the story, so I decided not to tag them or P5 in the fandom category. If you're reading this and haven't played P5 at all, don't worry, you don't need to know anything about the characters.

Sojiro Sakura did not let out a long, grumpy sigh as he let himself be dragged along behind two very excited children, neither of which he was actually the father of, technically, but both of which he loved dearly. The sigh was internal, because while he was a little annoyed at being dragged away from his one day of relaxation, he didn’t want to dampen their moods. Futaba, six, was dragging him along by his right hand very enthusiastically, almost never wanted to leave their house and go out in public, but today was apparently an exception. Akira, seven, was pulling him along by his left hand just as enthusiastically, and was probably to blame for that one. The boy had heard, probably from some of his friends in the neighborhood, that a lady from somewhere called “Arabia” had set up shop in the marketplace for a few days, selling exotic wares from far to the west but, more importantly, singing songs and telling tales. Akira loved tales, after all, and his enthusiasm had been quite infectious. Even Sojiro was a bit curious, though he was loathe to admit it.

“Slow down, slow down, we’ll get there,” Sojiro said, to try to deter them from dragging him any faster. He received a pout from Futaba and a mischievous grin from Akira. 

It hadn’t been more than a week since Sojiro had come to the marketplace area last, to browse the selection of teas and fish, but he hardly recognized it once he got there. The usual stalls were still there, the owners still sitting comfortably behind their wares, but there was one stall that was, well, impossible to ignore. It was stuffed to the brim with what looked like pots and bolts of cloth and jewelry, and silks of bright colors hung from the top of the stall. There were also two rows of benches, simple wooden constructs, radiating out from the stall. Those were definitely new. The benches were already packed full of people, mostly children and teenagers, though there were several adults in the crowd as well. 

“There’s Ryuji!” Akira suddenly shouted, and Sojiro was pulled a little more firmly to the left. They approached one of the benches, where a child with unruly black hair and a large grin was waving at them, excitedly. Ah, yes, the child of the Sakamoto clan. Sojiro glanced around and spotted Akiko Sakamoto, who was an infrequent patron of his at his restaurant. He nodded to her, and she waved back from where she was standing under a tree nearby. 

“You made it!” the Sakamoto child crowed. He patted the bench beside him, where the kid made just enough room for Akira and Futaba by scooting down the bench, squishing against a boy with blue hair and a subdued expression. Sojiro had seen him playing with Akira and Futaba a few times. The Sakamoto child looked up at him, sheepish. “Uh, sorry, Sakura-san, I didn’t know you’d be coming so I didn’t save you a seat…”

“That’s fine,” Sojiro replied, watching as Akira let Futaba sit down beside the Sakamoto child, only to squish into her, hard enough to make Ryuji and the blue haired boy rock over to the right. She giggled, and the Sakamoto child pushed back, nearly sending Akira flying off of the bench. Sojiro thought about scolding them, but they were all laughing, and he didn’t get to see them laugh in such a carefree way so often. He waited until their laughter died down, before leaning down and getting both Akira and Futaba’s attention. “Listen, you two. I’m going to do some shopping. You behave, alright?”

“Yes, dad!” Futaba exclaimed, cheerfully. Akira frowned.

“You mean you’re not gonna watch the show?” Akira asked. 

“I’ll be around,” Sojiro replied. It seemed like that answer was acceptable, because Akira nodded. Sojiro straightened up and looked around. His usual fishmonger was nearby. He wondered how long this performance, or whatever it was, was going to last. He made his way over to the tree in the center of the marketplace, where a cluster of parents had gathered. He recognized quite a few of them as patrons of his restaurant. 

“Afternoon,” he greeted.

“Sojiro, it’s rare to see you out at this time of day! Did the kids drag you out?” greeted a man with dark hair and hakama that looked like they cost more than Sojiro made in a year. 

“Kunikazu,” Sojiro greeted, with a nod. Despite being the richest man in town, Kunikazu Okumura stopped by fairly regularly for a coffee or beer and a plate of curry. “I suppose your daughter dragged you out here?” Sojiro scanned the crowd and spotted Haru, with her distinct, fluffy hair, sitting beside two other girls, one with short brown hair and the other with long, silver gray hair, the Nijima siblings. Sitting beside the older Nijima girl was a brown haired boy that was another frequent visitor to Sojiro’s kissaten, Goro Akechi. Sojiro was not surprised to find that he didn’t see the boy’s father anywhere in the crowd. 

“I must admit,” Kunikazu started, “I am skeptical about this, but Haru insisted that this ‘Risette’ person is a wonderful performer. And, you know, we so rarely get to see people from somewhere as far away as Arabia!” Ah, so that was it. Okumura’s daughter had likely already seen a performance, and word had spread to Akira that way. For being such a quiet boy, Sojiro mused, Akira certainly had a knack for friendship. Other than Goro Akechi, who he had something of a rivalry with, Sojiro honestly didn’t know of any other child in the city that Akira wasn’t at least friendly acquaintances with. Quite a number of adults, too, if the uptick in his number of customers since taking in Akira was of any indication. 

“Look, there she is!” a voice in the audience said, and Sojiro re-directed his attention back to the colorfully decorated shop. And there, indeed, was a woman that would stick out like a sore thumb anywhere she went in Japan. She was quite beautiful, and a good bit younger than Sojiro had been expecting, considering that she was apparently quite the businesswoman and had traveled from somewhere so far to the west. Her hair was incredibly fluffy, done up in two pigtails and framing the sides of her pale face. She was remarkably pale, actually, considering both her apparent origin and also her profession of choice. 

Her outfit was also quite revealing, which certainly went a long way to explain the number of men gathered around to watch. Bands of gold with some sort of blue jewels embedded in them were around her neck, wrists and ankles, and earrings of similar materials dangled from her ears. A band of white and gold material covered her breasts, and belts of similar make crossed over her hips, leaving most of her stomach, quite a lot of her hips, and some of her chest visible. She wore sleeves and pants made of fine silk that had been dyed in vibrant pinks and purples, and the material sparkled in the sunlight. More of the material draped from her wrists. All in all, the costume was quite daring, and, Sojiro was certain, would be the topic of many scandalized conversations among the adults gathered to watch. 

“Good afternoon, everyone!” the woman spoke, and to Sojiro’s surprise, she spoke perfect, unaccented Japanese. “My name is Risette. Oh, my,” she spoke, surveying the crowd with exaggerated shock on her face. “There are so many of you today! Thank you all so much for coming! I suppose I’ll need to pull out all the stops for you all today. I’ll tell you my best story.”

“Even better than the 40 thieves?” a child in the crowd asked. Risette giggled.

“Even better! I think it’s time to tell you all about my dear friends Yu and Yosuke, and the princess, and the genie and the lamp!” she said. Nearly in unison, the children on the benches let out a collective “whoa.”

“A princess!” crowed one of the children in delight, a girl with bright blonde hair sitting in front of where Akira and Futaba were. Sojiro recognized her as one of Akira’s friends, Takamaki or something like that. She was sitting next to a girl with a brown ponytail that he thought he’d seen once or twice as well.

“What’s a ‘genie’?” asked another girl, the younger Nijima daughter. 

“I’ll get to that, my dear children,” Risette replied. 

“Will you sing?” asked the Sakamoto child, who had stood up in his excitement. 

“Well, now, I don’t want to attract a crowd!” Risette protested, with a wink. 

“Please? It’s better when you sing!” Okumura’s daughter pleaded. 

“Sing! Sing! Sing!” came the start of a chant, from Akira of all people. Risette smothered a laugh behind a hand as, very quickly, all of the children in the audience began to chant. Risette turned and began walking away, to many of the childrens’ audible disappointment. Then she spun around, dramatically, leaping onto a tree stump with a great deal of flourish, the silks on her wrists spinning. She faced the crowd and began to sing in a loud, clear voice, because why in the world would you sing quietly in front of a crowd like this?

> Well I come from a land, from a faraway place, 

> where the caravan camels roam,

> Where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense, 

> Was barbaric, but it was home.

> Well I went to the east, many suns in the west, 

> Crossed the ocean all day and night,

> Found myself in the sky,

> In the mountains, up high,

> In a chilly, dark Inaba night.

> Oh, Inaba nights, like the Inaba days,

> More often than not are colder than hot,

> In a not-so-good way,

> Oh, Inaba nights, filled with so many stars,

> In the chilly dark air,

> Dark monsters appear,

> From worlds afar.

> There's a road that may lead you to good or to greed

> Through the power your wishing commands

> Let the darkness unfold or find fortunes untold

> Well, your destiny lies in your hands

> Oh, Inaba nights, filled with Inaba moons,

> If you play your cards right,

> If your fortune takes flight,

> You may find your boon.

There was a beat of silence among the crowd, before the children all started clapping furiously. Risette nodded and gave a little bow, before hopping down off of the tree stump and approaching the crowd. She sat down on a wooden stool, crossing her legs and steepling her fingers in front of her.

“Our tale begins on a dark night, where a dark man waits, with a dark purpose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be up on August 19th, but you can read ahead! Details on my tumblr!
> 
> Cameos this chapter: Sojiro Sakura, Akira Kurusu, Futaba Sakura, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ryuji's mom, Yusuke Kitagawa, Kunikazu Okumura, Haru Okumura, Sae Nijima, Makoto Nijima, Goro Akechi, Ann Takamaki, Shiho Suzui
> 
> Chapter Notes: Rise's outfit is her Arabian Armor variant from Dancing All Night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who the Jaffar is in this AU?

Tohru Adachi had been hearing the voice of a woman for six years. The woman spoke with a dark, cold voice that had, at first at least, sent chills down his spine, made his very soul quiver. But, he found, the more he obeyed the commands she gave him, the more powers he was granted. For six years he had been carrying out her orders, from things as benign as carving strange sigils into the walls of nearby caves, to outright murdering people. The murders had been a more recent thing, and Tohru suspected that she had waited for his powers to grow so much that he could execute the murders without any chance of being caught. 

That was partially due to his magical powers, but much more to do with his position as the advisor and second-in-command to Ryoutaro Dojima, the beloved ruler of Inaba. It was a small place, Inaba, but so well fortified and remote that it was entirely ignored by the wars of the samurai and the shogunates. Tohru had been slowly convincing Dojima that they could, and should, expand the influence of Inaba and invade some of the nearby towns, but Dojima was stubborn in his staunch belief in peace. 

Ryoutaro Dojima was not supposed to be the ruler. He had been appointed six years ago to the position when the former rulers, Kirei and Michiko Narukami, had been killed. Their only child was ten at the time and was not fit to rule, and Kirei had no siblings. Michiko’s next of kin, her brother Ryoutaro Dojima, had been appointed. If you asked the peasantry, he had been doing a fantastic job of it, too. Tohru didn’t care about the peasantry, though, and in the opinion of both himself and the disembodied woman’s voice, Dojima had been lackluster as a ruler. 

For the past two weeks, the woman’s voice had been repeating the same phrase over and over: “find me the Wild Card.” When pressed for more details, she had none. She had told him of a dark blue cave deep, deep in the mountains, that only the Wild Card could enter. Who this was, and where that was, Tohru had absolutely no clue. After a week of reminders from the strange woman’s voice, he had finally had enough. He had mustered his most disposable servant, an unpleasant, fat little man named Mitsuo Kubo, and brought him along with him on an expedition into the caves under Inaba. 

After several hours of fruitless searching, the voice had told him he was getting close, and although he was both tired and cold, he had pressed on until he’d found it. It was, indeed, a dark blue cave. The walls were made of some kind of strange rock that glittered under torch light and emitted a blue light naturally. This was deeply unnerving to him, so Tohru had sent Mitsuo further in. 

Mitsuo had not come back.

“Kubo, what are you doing?” Tohru hesitantly called out into the deep blue cavern. The voice that responded was not the voice of his servant, nor was it the voice of the woman he’d been hearing for six years. 

“This velvet room is locked to all but the Wild Card,” said a woman. Tohru could hear footsteps approaching, and was quick to raise his staff, readying a spell. It was well known that strange creatures lurked in the darkness around Inaba, and of course in the caves below Inaba, but no-one had ever known one of them to _talk_. 

It wasn’t long before a strange woman came into view. She was wearing a garment of the same deep blue that the cave’s walls were, her hair shockingly white, her eyes a piercing yellow. She was holding a leather-bound book in one hand, and dragging what turned out to be Mitsuo by the leg with the other hand. She stopped and regarded him, her expression cold, her eyes blazing in the torch light. 

“I have taken pity on this man, tonight. He is merely unconscious. Take him and leave this place. You are not the Wild Card,” the woman said. 

“Who is the Wild Card?” Tohru asked. The woman shook her head.

“That is not information that you can be allowed to know, Tohru Adachi,” she replied. He felt fear, genuine fear, creep up his back at the revelation that she knew his name. 

“Who are you?!” he demanded. She stood silent, impassive. “Answer me!” She shook her head. He snarled, thrusting his staff in her direction and unleashing a spell at her. In the blink of an eye, she’d dropped Mitsuo’s foot and opened her book, and the powerful Vorpal Blade spell smashed into some kind of barrier, harmlessly. 

He tried very hard not to show it, but Tohru Adachi was _shaken_ by the display of power.

“I am one who wields power,” the woman simply replied. She made a gesture above her book, and the unconscious body of Mitsuo floated a few inches above the cave floor, then moved over to him, setting back down on the floor at his feet. Tohru looked from his servant to the blue-clad woman, fear and rage battling for dominance in his mind. She closed her book with a snap. 

“Go,” she simply said. With an enraged huff, Tohru bent down and grabbed Mitsuo by the back of his hakama, dragging him back through the cave, all while never taking his eyes off of the woman. As he neared a bend in the cave, he noticed that while the ring of light from his torch didn’t extend that far back into the cave any more, he could still see the woman, wreathed in deep, dark blue light, and her eyes seemed to be glowing. He dragged Mitsuo around the bend in the tunnel with a shudder. He roughly turned Mitsuo onto his back and smacked him on the cheeks a few times to try to wake him up. The portly boy groaned and sat up with a dazed expression on his stupid face.

“What happened?” he asked. 

“Nothing. Get up, we’re going back to the surface,” Tohru spat.

“What?” Mitsuo asked, but Tohru had already stood back up and was walking away. He heard Mitsuo scramble to get up and follow him. 

“Find me the Wild Card,” echoed the voice of the woman in his head, colder even than the voice of the woman in blue. Tohru shuddered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be up on August 26th, but you can read ahead! Details on my tumblr!
> 
> Cameos this chapter: Mitsuo Kubo, Margaret


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yosuke is finally in the story!

****

Yosuke was hungry. To be fair, Yosuke was hungry a lot. Being an orphan with no skills didn’t exactly pay… anything at all, so anything he ate he had to steal first. In the six years he’d been living parentless he’d gotten really, really good at stealing. He’d had to, not only to feed himself, but to feed his ‘little brother’ who ate twice as much as he did. Yosuke was nearly always hungry, but today he was exceptionally hungry, and when he was exceptionally hungry he made mistakes. 

“Stop, thief!” echoed behind him, and he sighed. He’d been spotted. He knew that going for that third peach was risky, but he hadn’t eaten anything with much flavor in _so long_…

He ducked behind a house, coming out the other side into a busy street, tucking the offending peach into a bag he was wearing at his waist, which already contained two other peaches and two daikon radishes. On the other side of his waist was a small sack of rice. It would be… well, not a _good_ dinner, not really, but it would be enough. He just had to make it back to his house without getting caught. 

Luckily, there was a dark cloak hanging on a post outside a house, ostensibly to dry in the sunlight. He moved past it, smoothly grabbing it and slipping on without being spotted, he hoped. He heard “where did he go?” in the crowd behind him, and breathed a sigh of relief. He sidled up to two ladies in beautiful kimono who were having a stroll and a chat.

“Morning ladies,” he greeted. The older of the two, a dark-haired woman named Sayoko Uehara who often assisted the town doctor, rolled her eyes at him. The younger, a shy girl with dark hair named Yumi Ozawa, giggled at him. 

“Getting into trouble a little early today, aren’t we Yosuke?” Sayoko said.

“Trouble? Not today. You’re only in trouble if you get caught,” Yosuke replied, with a wink. He suddenly felt someone grab his shoulder and spin him around, and was now face-to-face with the stern captain of the guard, a white-haired man that Yosuke was unfortunately very familiar with, Akihiko Sanada. 

“Gotcha,” Akihiko said, glaring at him.

“I’m in trouble,” Yosuke replied. 

“How many times do I have to tell you, Yosuke, you—” Akihiko started in on his usual lecture, the grip on Yosuke’s shoulder feeling like iron. Sanada was interrupted by a white blur as he was tackled from the side in something that could only be described as a “bear hug”. 

“Aki-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!” exclaimed the blur, as both it and the captain of the guard went sprawling into the dirt of the road. The blue-eyed, grinning face of Teddie, Yosuke’s ‘younger brother’, looked up at him from the pile, and winked. Yosuke laughed.

“Thanks for the assist, Teddie!” he crowed. He looked around for a quick getaway, flashing a grin and a wink at Sayoko and Ayane, before taking off at a run. He didn’t make it far before he felt the cloak get grabbed, but he went into a spin and ditched the garment quickly. He’d been hoping to keep it, as it was starting to get colder with winter approaching, but alas, not today. He took a running leap at a nearby building, a large, ornately decorated tea house. With his momentum he was easily able to pull himself up onto the roof.

“Whew. Okay,” he said. He looked back, only to see that Ahikiho had thrown Teddie off of him and was approaching the tea house as well, and two more guards were approaching, a stern-looking woman around Yosuke’s age named Chie Satonaka, and a burly, tough-looking guy just younger than him by the name of Kanji Tatsumi. He was well acquainted with the both of them, at least more than the older and more serious Sanada. He and Chie had been childhood friends, actually, and while he and Kanji had a bit more of a rocky relationship, they were still good friends, too. But at the same time, they were also city guards, and he was a notorious and well-known thief. Most of the town tolerated him, some even giving him food when there was food to spare, but most of the merchants hated him. He was bad for their bottom line, after all. 

Now that he was on the roof, though, he had a bit of an advantage. He was able to maneuver a bit better than the guards, who were wearing metal armor. He also knew the rooftops of Inaba quite well. He could afford to have a little bit of fun with this chase. He started off with a light jog across the roof, even as the three guards began climbing up the side just as he had. He grinned and began to sing.

> Gotta keep

> One jump ahead of the guards and,

> One swing ahead of their swords.

> I steal only what I can’t afford,

> And that’s everything!

The three of them had struggled their way onto the roof, and Yosuke briefly turned so that he was walking backwards, blowing a raspberry at them. He quickly reached the edge of the tea house and jumped from it to the next building over, not even dislodging a single roof tile when he landed. 

> One jump ahead of the lawmen,

> That’s all, and that’s no joke.

> These guys don’t appreciate I’m broke.

“Riff raff!” Sanada shouted from behind him.

“Yosuke!” Kanji called, sounding angry.

“Scoundrel!” Chie exclaimed. He heard an impact behind him and turned to see that Chie had cleared the gap between the buildings, also landing gracefully enough to not disrupt the roof tiles. The same could not be said for Kanji and Sanada, who both landed behind her, heavily, sending clay tiles skittering down the roof to smash on the ground behind them. Yosuke winced. He knew that the owners of the building would be paid for the damages, but it still made him feel a little guilty. 

Kanji evidently saw him wince and frowned at him, reaching down and grabbing a loose tile and chucking it at him, with a “Take that!”

“Just a little snack, guys!” Yosuke protested. The three guards advanced on him, but he was ready for them, leaping to the next building with the ease of practice. From below, he heard the familiar, nasally voice of Kinshiro Morooka, the merchant with possibly the biggest vendetta against him in all of Inaba. 

“Rip him open, take it back, guys!”

Yosuke rolled his eyes and advanced along the roof, Chie in hot pursuit, with Sanada and Kanji a few feet behind her. The next building was taller than the one he was running along, with a large balcony that he would be able to climb into if he was able to make the jump. It was daring, but it might let him escape from the guards if he was fast at it. He also knew that the people in the building had, well, mixed feelings about him.

It was the brothel. 

He sped up to gain momentum.

> I can take the hint, 

> Gotta face the facts,

> My only real friend’s a bear!

With that he jumped, managing to just catch the bottom of the railing on the balcony. He was quick to scramble up and do what he thought was a really cool flip to get onto the balcony, ducking inside the second story of the town brothel. The room inside was a beautifully decorated room lined with tatami mats, a low table surrounded by cushions, and had stacks and stacks of folded garments, expensive looking jewelry, and pots of makeup in front of mirrors. There were four women sitting around the table in kimono, faces fully made up in shades of white and black and red, hair pinned up with delicate kanzashi and elegant combs. All four stood up in alarm when he barged in, faces relaxing when they saw who it was.

“Who…? Oh, it’s just you Yosuke. What’s the problem?” one of the women, a girl around his age named Ayane, asked. He winked, moving further into the room, and she giggled at him. 

“He’s become a one-man rise in crime,” scolded another of the ladies, a short, cute girl by the name of Ai Ebihara. She was the daughter of one of the merchants that had a vendetta against Yosuke. 

“I’d blame parents, except he hasn’t got them,” came a voice behind him, and he turned to be face-to-face with a stern older lady, Kimiko Sofue, who mainly kept the books for the brothel. He gave a nervous smile and backed up toward the open window on the opposite side of the room. 

“Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat, tell you all about it when I’ve got the time!” Yosuke sang, winking at the girls near the table and receiving only a frown from Ebihara. He glanced out the window, finding that the building next to it was a manageable fall. He leapt out the window just as he saw Chie haul her way onto the balcony, an amused look on her face as he waved at her. He landed and rolled, coming up from the tumble into a run. 

> One jump ahead of the slowpokes,

> One skip away from the jail,

> You know I don’t have enough for bail.

He heard the impact of Chie landing on the roof behind him and sped up his run. He would run out of buildings soon, and would need to make a run for it sooner than later. He was on the opposite side of town from his house, anyway. 

> One jump ahead of the hitmen

> One hit ahead of the flock

> I think I'll take a stroll around the block

He reached the edge of the roof he was running on and crouched down, grabbing the side of the roof and flipping himself down, letting go and falling the few feet to the ground, landing in a tumble. His feet and ankles stung, but he was fine. Unfortunately, he didn’t have long to recover, because Sanada rounded one corner of the house and Kanji rounded the other.

“Stop, thief!” Sanada crowed.

“Right there!” Kanji exclaimed.

“Don’t move!” Chie added, and Yosuke glanced up to see her at the edge of the roof, frowning down at him. 

“Grab him!” Sanada instructed. He and Kanji started to advance on him, and Chie started climbing down from the roof. Yosuke started backing up toward the door of the house, uneasily.

“Let’s not be too hasty,” he said. The door of the house suddenly opened and a very busty woman grabbed his arm, shoving him behind her and into the house. He was grateful for the assist, of course, but he was arguably in more danger in Noriko Kashiwagi’s house than he was outside with the guards.

“Still I think he’s rather tasty,” she sang. He felt a cold sweat trail down his back. He looked around and quickly spotted a back door, which he rushed to.

“I can take a hint, gotta change the facts, otherwise we’d get along!” he sang.

“Wrong!” the three guards said, in unison, as they ducked around Kashiwagi and into the house. Yosuke threw himself through the door and out into the busy main street of Inaba, the guards hot on his heels. 

“All this over some peaches and rice?” he muttered to himself as he sprinted into the road, ducking through the crowd. He saw a flash of golden hair ahead of him and grinned, making a beeline for it. 

> One jump ahead of the guards and,

> One hop ahead of the chumps

The guards were behind him, but Yosuke was easily outpacing them through the crowd. Teddie soon came completely into view, waving at him and motioning toward a nearby alley way.

> One trick ahead of disaster,

> They’re quick, but I’m much faster!

Teddie darted ahead of him into the alley, and Yosuke rounded the corner, finding that it was a dead end with a tall fence blocking off what Yosuke knew to be the Samegawa river. Perfect. Teddie crouched into position, hands out to make a step for Yosuke. He nodded and went into a sprint straight at the fence.

> Here goes! Gotta throw my hand in, 

> Wish me happy landing,

> All I gotta do is jump!

With the boost from Teddie, he easily cleared the top of the fence, tucking his legs up and splashing down into the cold water of the Samegawa unharmed. 

“Do your thing, Teddie!” he called behind him. He heard a laugh in response.

“Where did he go?” the voice of Sanada demanded, and then there was a sudden roaring sound and three startled shrieks. Yosuke laughed, spreading his limbs out as he floated for a few feet, before shivering and flipping over to swim to the other bank. This put him on the side of town where the castle was, and while Yosuke didn’t know it quite as well as he did the other half of Inaba, he was still able to quickly and easily slip between a couple of buildings. If Sanada and the other guards wanted to keep chasing him, they’d either have to wade through the Samegawa or take one of the bridges across, which were pretty far away. 

He found himself near the Amagi Inn, tugging down one of their linens to dry off from his unexpected swim. It was surprisingly quiet right now, without a maid or patron in sight. He took advantage of the unexpected lull to grab a couple of mikan oranges that had been set out in a large, ornate bowl, along with a tin of tea. The tea would be a nice treat, and if he was lucky he could sell the tin, too. He decided not to press his luck, especially after what happened with that third peach, and ducked out of the courtyard. He spotted a crowd forming near the main road and quietly made his way toward it. 

“On his way to the castle, I suppose,” he heard someone say as he approached. He spotted a man approaching on a horse, the gaudiness of his clothing only surpassed by the redness of his hair. 

“Another suitor for the princess,” said another man. Yosuke rolled his eyes and started to turn away, but spotted two children that had run out into the road, giggling. They were right in the way of the gaudy man and his horse. Moving mostly on instinct, Yosuke ran out and grabbed the children, turning them away from the horse as it reared up in alarm. 

“Out of my way, you filthy brats!” the man on the horse shouted. Yosuke pushed the children into the crowd, before turning around and glaring at the man. 

“If I were as rich as you, I could afford a better trained horse,” Yosuke replied. The man glared down at him.

“Nobody talks to Sho Minazuki like that, you little mongrel,” the man seethed. He tugged on the reins, and suddenly the horse’s head knocked into him, sending him to the ground. He heard laugher rise up around him and climbed to his feet, glowering after the prince.

“Well, would you look at that, it’s not everyday you see a horse with _two_ asses!” he sneered. He heard laughter, genuine this time, ripple out into the crowd at the insult. He saw one man double over, chortling, in his peripheral vision. To his surprise, the prince stopped his horse, rearing it around to direct a glare in his direction. 

“Hmph,” the prince scoffed. “You are a worthless street rat. You were born a street rat, you’ll die a street rat, and only your fleas will mourn you.” And with that, the prince turned away and marched his horse further down the street, leaving Yosuke with his arms folded, simmering in rage. He huffed out a sigh.

“If that’s the kind of prince that is trying to court the princess, I feel bad for her,” Yosuke grumbled. A hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched, looking up to find that it was, to his immense relief, only the town blacksmith, Daidara. 

“You should get on home, boy,” Daidara said. Yosuke nodded, with a sigh. Daidara reached into his pocket and pressed a few yen into Yosuke’s hand, before turning and walking away with the rest of the dispersing crowd. Yosuke sighed again and started for home.

“Home” in this case was a dilapidated looking house near the outskirts of Inaba. The area had once been thriving, with new homes being built every few months, but now the area was mostly abandoned. Most of the buildings had burned down in the big fire that had swept the area six years ago. One of the only buildings that was mostly intact was the home that had belonged to Yosuke’s parents. It was a one-story compound with a four foot stone fence around the perimeter. 

There was a small garden, which was starting to die off with the recent chilly nights. The building itself was a ramshackle thing. Yosuke hadn’t known anything about how to fix a roof or patch a wall at age ten, and even at age sixteen he wasn’t all that great of a craftsman, so his haphazard work only served to make the place look even more abandoned. It wasn’t much, but it was certainly home, and it kept him dry in the rain and warm in the winter. He sighed as he made his way into the house.

> Riff-raff, street rat,

> I don’t buy that.

> If only they’d look closer.

> Would they see a poor boy? 

> No siree.

> They’d find out there’s so much more to me.

Yosuke jumped at the sound of enthusiastic clapping as he ended his song, only to find Teddie standing at the entrance to the house.

“That was good, Yosuke! You could be a singer at the castle, you know?” Teddie complimented. Yosuke rolled his eyes.

“A little heads up would’ve been nice, Ted,” he scolded, though there was no heat behind it. He sank down onto a wooden stool, one of the only pieces of furniture left in the house that had both survived the fire and the six years since. 

“I didn’t want to interrupt your bear-utiful song!” Teddie insisted. He plopped down on the floor in front of Yosuke with a huge grin. “So, what’s for dinner?”

“I got us some rice and daikon, and peaches. Oh, and some oranges and tea from the Amagi Inn. Pretty productive day, huh?” he informed Teddie as he emptied his pouches.

“Wowie! Great job, Yosuke!” Teddie exclaimed. Yosuke grinned.

“Oh, yeah. How did things go with the guards?” he asked, and Teddie’s grin was wide and a little bit more feral than human. Yosuke was long since used to it, but it still made him pause, every once in a while, and remember that Teddie _wasn’t_ human.

“Tee hee,” Teddie said, and Yosuke shook his head, with a laugh. “Chie-chan and Aki-chan and Kanji-chan all got a big scare! You’d think they’d be used to my bear-riffic form by now, but it gets them every time!”

“Well, suddenly coming face-to-face with a giant black bear will do that,” Yosuke replied. He grabbed the rice and got up, hunting around for a stone pot to cook it in. His stomach grumbled, and he grabbed one of the peaches, tossing the other two at Teddie. 

“Both for me? Thanks, Yosuke!” Teddie exclaimed, immediately biting into one of the peaches with way too much enthusiasm. Yosuke snacked on his own peach much more slowly, trying to savor the flavor as much as possible. Treats like this were few and far between, especially in the harsh Inaba winters. 

“You know what, Yosuke?” Teddie asked around the second peach. Yosuke looked over at him, one eyebrow raised. “One day, things are gonna be different! We’re gonna be rich and live in a castle, and never have any problems again!”

“Go get some water for the rice and tea, you dumb bear,” Yosuke replied, with an exasperated sigh. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos this chapter: Sayoko Uehara (devil social link), Yumi Ozawa (sun social link), Kinshiro Morooka (king moron), Ayane Matsunaga (sun social link), Ai Ebihara (moon social link), Kimiko Sofue (teacher), Noriko Kashiwagi (teacher), Sho Minazuki (Persona 4 Arena), Daidara (the blacksmith)


	4. Chapter 4

Another day, another empty stomach to fill. Dinner last night had been filling, but the orange he’d eaten this morning hadn’t lasted very long in his stomach, unfortunately for Yosuke. So here he was again in the crowded main market street of Inaba. He probably needed to stay away from King Moron’s stall for a while, but that didn’t mean there weren’t a plethora of other merchants to steal from. In fact, he’d devised a plan with Teddie. Teddie would appear in his true form, a giant black bear, and run through the main street, distracting the shoppers, merchants, and most importantly the guards as he went. Yosuke would follow behind him, picking up as much food as he could carry. Teddie would get chased out of the town, hopefully uninjured, and Yosuke would make a quick getaway back to his house. It was a foolproof plan. Well, almost.

“Yosuke, Yosuke, look, look!” Teddie whispered, grabbing his attention and pointing down into the street. From their vantage point on one of the roofs they could see most of the street. 

At first, Yosuke didn’t see who or what Teddie was pointing at, but his eyes quickly zeroed in on a silver-haired young man who looked incredibly lost and incredibly rich. The brown cloak he wore did little to disguise the fine silk hakama he was wearing, not to mention the rings on his fingers. A tourist, perhaps? Whoever he was, he was a prime target for a little sleight of hand. If Yosuke didn’t do it, someone else was bound to. Someone with even worse intentions for the man, probably. His face was pretty enough, after all, and although Inaba was small, there were still some very shady types lurking in the shadows. 

Yosuke made his way down off of the roof quickly, blending in with the crowd and matching his pace to the silver-haired man’s steps. He didn’t notice at all. Yeah, definitely too innocent to be wandering around here, even in broad daylight. He watched the man slow his pace, and then approach a stand that was selling apples. A young boy was trying to stealthily grab an apple, but was too short to even reach over the lip of the stand. 

“Are you hungry?” Yosuke heard the man ask, his voice low. The child nodded, and the man grabbed an apple from the stand and handed it to him, before turning away.

“Hey, you, are you gonna pay for that?” the merchant asked. Yosuke had stopped, now, a few feet away, watching the event unfold.

“Oh, um, I’m so sorry, I don’t have any money. Where I’m from, we can just—” the man started to explain. There was something off about his voice, like he was trying to pitch it lower than it should go. 

“Well, we pay for things here, you thief!” the merchant snarled. He reached out and grabbed the silver-haired man’s wrist, reaching to his belt with the other hand and drawing a katana. The young man’s silver eyes went wide, and Yosuke launched himself into action. He knew this merchant, a severe man named Konishi. He was notorious for being impossible to barter with, and very harsh on thieves. Yosuke tended to avoid his stall, even though he loved both apples and saké, both of which the Konishis had the market cornered on.

“I-I’m sorry, if you just let me go talk to my uncle in the castle, I’ll get you—” the silver-haired man protested, but Konishi apparently wasn’t having a great day, because he pulled on the young man’s arm, forcing a pained gasp out of him. 

“No-one steals from me!” Konishi frothed. Before he could bring the sword down toward the young man, though, Yosuke had stepped in. He deftly caught the man’s arm, grabbing the sword out of his grip and tossing it to the ground at their feet. Konishi let go of the silver-haired man in surprise. 

“I am so, so sorry,” Yosuke began, mind whirling to find a plausible lie. Konishi started to lean down and grab his katana, but Yosuke stepped on the handle, preventing him from picking it up. “I apologize on his behalf. You see, my friend here doesn’t get out often. He’s a little…” he leaned closer to Konishi, noticing with excitement and relief that Konishi leaned in, too. 

“He’s a little crazy,” Yosuke whispered, conspiratorially. He noticed a flash of gold hair out of the corner of his eye and deftly put one hand behind his back, reaching out with the other and putting it on the man’s shoulder. “Now, I know things have been hard for you ever since Saki passed. She was a wonderful girl, and I was proud to be her friend. Why don’t we just put this all behind us, okay?” He let go of the man’s shoulder and brought his other hand around, finding an apple in it. Good job, Teddie. He handed the apple to Mr. Konishi. “No hard feelings?”

“I’m warning you, street rat,” Mr. Konishi grumbled, examining the apple for a moment before appearing to find it satisfactory. “You or your scoundrel brother or this guy, if I catch any of you ever stealing from my stall ever again, I won’t be so merciful.” Yosuke nodded and deftly moved his foot, kicking the katana up into the air and catching it, before handing it to Mr. Konishi with a bow of his head. The older man took the katana, glowering at him. “Now, get out of here!” Yosuke nodded and backed up, taking the silver-haired man by the arm and pulling him away.

“Thank… Thank you,” the silver-haired man breathed, once they were far enough away from the stall. Yosuke nodded.

“Are you a tourist here?” Yosuke asked, conversationally. He let go of the man’s arm once he was sure that he wasn’t going to bolt. 

“...something like that,” the man responded. Teddie ran up to keep pace beside Yosuke with a cheerful laugh. 

“You sure are something, Yosuke! That was amazing!” Teddie exclaimed.

“Yes, I have to agree,” the silver-haired man echoed. Yosuke grinned. He noticed that Teddie’s hands were both in the pockets of his hakama. 

“Um, Teddie, what do you have?” he asked. Teddie grinned.

“We should probably run before that guy calls the guards!” Teddie said, cheerfully. He pulled one hand slightly out of a pocket, and in his grasp was a glass bottle. 

“You didn’t!” Yosuke exclaimed. Teddie just grinned and increased his pace. Yosuke followed, and was pleased to notice the silver-haired man following, too. It wasn’t long before they had made their way back to the outskirts of Inaba. Once he was sure they weren’t being followed, Yosuke slowed his pace, and both Teddie and the silver-haired man followed suit. Teddie pulled his hands fully out of his pockets, revealing two large bottles of saké. 

“Thanks for the distraction, you two! I was able to grab these no problem! Also, Yosuke, if you check your pouches, I think you’ll like what you see~” Teddie said in a sing-song voice. Yosuke blinked, noticing for the first time that all three pouches he was wearing around his belt were stuffed full to the brim. Two were full of apples, and the third had a generous handful of coins in it. He laughed.

“Teddie!” he exclaimed. Teddie grinned.

“That mean man was gonna cut down an innocent guy right there in the street! He deserves it!” Teddie argued, and Yosuke laughed. The silver-haired man laughed, too, and Yosuke caught himself thinking that it was actually really cute, seeing him finally looking carefree after the trouble they’d gone through.

Wait...cute? That must be the hunger talking, he decided. Girls were cute. Guys were… he didn’t want to go there. He’d seen a few too many ‘men’ that liked to dress up in kimono and makeup and act like geishas. No thank you.

“Well, my esteemed offendee, today we feast on apples, I guess,” Yosuke said, reaching over and ruffling Teddie’s bright gold hair. Teddie giggled. They soon made their way to Yosuke’s little house. 

“Uh...it’s not much, but it’s safe,” he said, turning to the silver-haired man and looking apologetic.

“Thank you,” he replied. Yosuke led the way, the silver-haired man following behind and Teddie in the rear.

“And I know apples and saké aren’t much of a lunch, but that’s all we have, to be honest.” Yosuke continued. Yosuke went straight into the kitchen area of the house and found three cups for the saké. “Oh, I’m sorry, if you don’t drink I can also make some tea…”

“Tea would be great, thank you,” the silver-haired man said. He’d paused in the doorway and was toying with the edges of his cloak, before seeming to come to a decision. He took the cloak completely off, draping it over one arm. Yosuke got the fire lit and put some water in a pot to heat up for the tea, while Teddie enthusiastically uncorked one bottle of saké and began pouring some into two of the cups. Yosuke turned back toward the silver-haired man to continue the conversation, but stopped in his tracks.

With the cloak off, now, Yosuke could more clearly see that it had been hiding some very nice, very shapely curves. Oh! This wasn’t a young man at all, this was a woman in disguise! She had crossed her arms under her very nice breasts, which only made them more noticeable.

“Um…” Yosuke started. “Forgive me asking, but what’s a lovely young lady like you doing disguising yourself as a man and wandering around here alone and with no money?” 

“...so, you noticed,” the woman sighed. Her voice had shifted up a few octaves, to sound much more natural. So that had been why Yosuke had noticed something off about her voice earlier! “And here I thought my disguise was perfect…”

“Well, with that cloak on and your voice pitched low, I don’t think anyone would have noticed, to be honest,” Yosuke replied. Teddie, who had already downed at least one cup of the saké and was definitely showing it, stumbled up to her, cheeks rosy.

“Wowie! You’re a babe! What’s your name, sweet stuff?” Teddie slurred. Yosuke sighed, putting a hand over his face. Only a being like Teddie could pull off being literally so innocent that nobody suspected him of thievery, being an actual, literal bear, and also being a womanizer.

“Um,” she replied, looking uncomfortable. Yosuke crossed the room and grabbed Teddie by the head, steering him away from her. 

“You’re making her uncomfortable, Teddie,” he admonished. Teddie pouted. He grabbed an apple out of the bowl that Yosuke had emptied his pouches into, plopping down in his usual spot and munching on it. Yosuke scooted the stool toward her, sitting down beside Teddie while she perched on the stool, setting her cloak down on the floor beside her.

“Sowwy,” Teddie said through the apple. He swallowed. “But, do you have a name?” 

“Um, uh…” the silver-haired woman stammered. Yosuke looked at her, expectantly.

“Yes, I’m curious too. Oh, sorry, where are my manners? I’m Yosuke, and this is my little brother, Teddie.”

“Nice to meet you,” the woman replied, sounding a little less nervous. “Um, I’m Yu— Yukiko! Yukiko, that’s my name!”

Yosuke looked at Teddie. Teddie shrugged. Yeah, neither of them bought it, but Yosuke supposed that they’d have to go with it for now.

“All right, Yukiko,” Yosuke started. He had a hunch about her. The expensive, finely woven fabric of her hakama, the rings on her fingers, the very ornate silver pendant he could now see around her neck, her lack of money, her lack of companions or supervision, and now the fact that she was a girl trying to disguise herself as a boy… She had to be from the castle, didn’t she? Yosuke thought he remembered that the Amagi’s daughter, who had been in service to the princess as her handmaiden since birth, was named Yukiko. It all fit.

“So, tell me, how are you enjoying your time outside the castle?” he asked. Yukiko’s eyes widened.

“H-how did you know?” she asked. “Is it that obvious?”

“Well, you’re not exactly dressed like a commoner,” Yosuke pointed out. “And that’s some expensive jewelry for someone walking around with no money.”

“Oh,” Yukiko replied. She looked absolutely crushed.

“Hey, cheer up, okay? I wouldn’t be alive today if I hadn’t learned to be observant. I’m sure nobody else has noticed,” Yosuke replied. He grabbed an apple and tossed it to her. She scrambled to catch it, blushing in embarrassment.

It was extremely cute.

“Thank you,” she said. Clearing her throat, she continued. “Yes, I’m from the castle. Um, I’m, I’m the princess’s handmaiden.” Yosuke congratulated himself, silently, on being right on the money. 

“And what business does the princess’s handmaiden have out here in Inaba?” he asked, picking up another apple for himself. He saw Teddie reach for his third apple, and made a mental note to cut him off after a few more. He was going to make himself sick if he ate and drank too much. Wait, was saké even good for bears? Well, Teddie was a special bear, so it was probably fine…

“I wanted to see what it’s like out here. I’ve been in the castle as long as I can remember,” Yukiko replied. Yosuke nodded.

“And what do you think?” he asked. She took a deep breath.

“Well, it’s scary, but it’s also beautiful. I had no idea there were so many people here! You can see the whole city from the castle, and all of the surrounding mountains, but being able to see it up close and personal… it was amazing!” Yukiko gushed. Yosuke nodded. It may be small and remote, but Yosuke loved the little town. Evidently, so did Yukiko.

“What is the castle like?” Yosuke asked. “I’ve never been inside.” Well, that wasn’t true, but it had been a long, long time. He’d often snuck into the castle to play with… someone. He couldn’t remember, it had been before the fire, even. He’d had a friend in the castle, and that friend had snuck out, and he’d snuck in, and they’d played together. 

“Well, it’s...kind of boring, actually. There are many rooms, and there are always people coming to and fro. If it weren’t for my, er, the princess, I wouldn’t have anyone to talk to, I’m afraid. Other than some of the guards, there aren’t any other people my age in the castle… Oh, but there are books! There are so many books, and I love to read them.”

“Wow,” Yosuke replied, honestly impressed. “I’d love to learn how to read. I started to when I was very young but…” He trailed off, shaking his head and clearing his throat. No need to go into that, it would just bring the mood down. “Anyway, I can read numbers, but I never learned letters.”

“Oh, I could teach you!” Yukiko exclaimed, her eyes bright. “It’s quite easy to learn. Well, I think so at least.”

“Oh, teach me too, Sensei!” Teddie exclaimed. Yukiko looked surprised at being called that, but then laughed. 

“Sure, Teddie,” she replied. Teddie grinned, reaching out for his fifth apple. Yosuke reached over and scooted the bowl away from him, with a frown. He pouted. “Aww, Yosuke!”

“We need to save some for later, Teddie,” he admonished. He picked up another apple, offering it to Yukiko. “Want another?”

“I’ll pass,” Yukiko replied, and Yosuke shrugged.

“Don’t complain when you have an empty stomach later,” he replied, biting into the apple.

“I’ll need to get back to the castle before sundown,” she replied. “I’ll be okay.”

“Before sundown, huh?” Yosuke asked. “Can you teach us how to read that quickly?”

“Well, no, probably not,” she admitted. “But I can sneak out again! Now that I know where you live, I can come visit you again, can’t I?”

Oh, this was a terrible idea, and Yosuke knew it.

“Sure,” he said, nodding. 

“I’ll bring some food with me next time,” she added. He laughed.

“So, you’re going to teach us and feed us? In exchange for what?” he asked. She looked affronted.

“What? For nothing. I just want to be nice,” she explained. 

“Listen, not that I’m not grateful for the offer, but that kind of attitude? That’ll get you killed around here. Nobody does anything and doesn’t expect something out of the deal,” Yosuke said. Yukiko frowned, her eyebrows knitting.

“That’s terrible,” she replied.

“What is?” Yosuke asked.

“That attitude. Why can’t you just accept that I’m being generous?” she asked. 

“Oh, I believe you,” he corrected. “But anybody else in this town? I wouldn’t believe them for a second. Nobody offers a… someone like me, something like that, for free.”

Yukiko was quiet for a long time, staring over at him, frowning. He started to say something, anything, to break the tense mood, but she beat him to it.

“You know, my mother used to tell me that the people of Inaba were generous and kind to everyone, stranger or friend, rich or poor. What happened?” she asked. Yosuke shook his head, looking sad.

“I don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say the fire and the death of the former rulers, the Narukamis… Well, I was young when that happened, but I hear the older folks around town talking about that, sometimes. About how Inaba was so wonderful before that tragedy happened,” Yosuke replied, his voice soft. 

“...oh,” Yukiko replied, sounding pained. She looked around, as if noticing for the first time the terrible state of the house. The char marks that hadn’t faded in the past ten years. “Is that what happened to this house? All the houses around here?”

“Yeah, the fire destroyed most of them,” Yosuke sighed. “But my house wasn’t too bad, at least.”

“This was your house?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yeah, my parents built it, and we lived here before they...uh, well…”

“Died?” Yukiko asked, her voice small. Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah,” he replied. 

“My parents died in that accident six years ago too,” she said. Yosuke blinked, eyes narrowing in confusion. Had they? The Amagis were still alive, weren’t they? Yukiko must have noticed his confusion, because she made a startled noise. “Oh! I’m sorry. I meant the former lord and lady. Um, since I’ve been in the castle since I was very young, I was much closer to the, uh, the Narukamis than my own parents, so I used to refer to them as my parents…”

“Ah,” Yosuke replied. An awkward silence descended on the two of them. Yosuke was about to apologize for it, but Teddie interrupted them.

“Sssso,” he slurred, and Yosuke realized that he hadn’t been counting the number of cups of saké Teddie was drinking. “When are ya gonna sshtart teachin’ us to read, Ssshenshei?” 

Yosuke sighed.

“I think you’ve had enough, Teddie. Why don’t you go to bed? Here, I’ll help you,” he suggested. Teddie protested, but the saké had made his limbs floppy and pliable, and Yosuke was easily able to pick up his smaller frame and cart him off to the separate room where they slept. When he returned, Yukiko had taken the pot off of the fire and prepared a cup of tea for herself. 

“Younger brother, huh?” she asked. “No family resemblance.”

If only she knew, Yosuke thought.

“He’s an orphan, too. My parents took him in when he was a baby, so we’ve always been together,” Yosuke explained. Well, that was close enough to the truth, at least.

“I see,” she replied. She smiled over at him, for some reason. “You are very kind, Yosuke.” He blushed. Damn, she had a gorgeous smile.

“Thank you,” he replied, returning her smile. He was exceedingly pleased when she blushed in response. Oh no, he was totally smitten.

“So, shall we get started with those lessons?” she asked, looking around. “Have you any paper or writing materials?” 

“No,” Yosuke replied, sheepish. “No need for them.”

“Hmm,” she replied, thoughtfully. 

“I mean, um, I could go get some from the marketplace?” he suggested. “Oh, but that would take a while, and you have to be back at the castle before sundown, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she replied, looking a little forlorn. “I have to get ready for, er, get the princess ready to see a suitor.” Yosuke thought back to the rude man on horseback he’d seen the previous day, and he grimaced. 

“Does the princess have a lot of suitors?” he asked, and she made an annoyed sound.

“Yes. More and more, as her birthday approaches. According to the law, she has to marry a prince by her sixteenth birthday,” Yukiko explained. Yosuke frowned.

“Really? Why?” he asked.

“So that there will be a suitable man to take the place of ruler of Inaba,” she grumped, folding her arms and raising her shoulders, annoyed. “Honestly, that’s really stupid! Why can’t she just become the ruler herself?” 

“That is a really dumb law,” Yosuke agreed. “So, I guess her birthday is soon?” 

“It’s in one week,” Yukiko sighed. 

“Dang,” Yosuke replied. “That sucks. So, what’ll happen? She’ll have to pick a suitor, and he’ll move in and get to rule Inaba, just like that?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Yukiko mourned. “And if she doesn’t pick, she’ll have one chosen for her.”

“Wow,” Yosuke replied, stunned. She sighed.

“Well, never mind that,” Yukiko said. “I can’t teach you how to read today, but how about this? I’ll come back tomorrow, bright and early! That way Teddie can learn too!”

“Sounds good. I’ll make sure to get some parchment and ink and quills from the marketplace,” Yosuke replied. “Uh, I’ll buy it. Lawfully. With the money Teddie...uh...stole,” Yosuke explained, trailing off into a sheepish laugh. Yukiko laughed, too.

“I can bring those too, if you like,” she offered. “You should buy food with that money.”

“Okay, sure,” he replied. He stood up and took the now-empty teacup from her. “For now, I guess we should get you back to the castle, right?”

“We?” Yukiko asked, also standing. 

“Well, of course I’m going to escort you there! Can’t have you getting into trouble like before, now can I?” Yosuke asked. Yukiko looked a little guilty, and Yosuke laughed. 

“Come on, we can take the scenic route. The Samegawa is really nice this time of year, you know?” he asked. Yukiko nodded, stooping down to gather up and put on her cloak. 

They left Teddie snoring in the back of the house and headed out into the crisp fall afternoon, and neither of them were aware that their destinies would soon be changing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens!

Tohru Adachi was bored out of his mind. He hated these ostentatious suitors nearly as much as he could tell Princess Yui hated them. She, too, looked bored out of her mind, and that was one of the only things he could agree with her about. He just hoped that whichever insufferable dumbass she chose to marry, he would be able to keep her in check... rein in her willful tendency to speak her mind much more effectively than her uncle could. 

He barely listened as a man with greasy looking wavy brown hair droned on and on about the many great qualities of the prince he was tasked to look after, a man with blue hair covering one eye, who had so far said absolutely nothing and only stared, impassive, at Princess Yui. Tohru was not impressed and Yui was not impressed. Dojima, however, did seem to be moved by the fact that this new prince, Minato or something, was in a similar situation to Yui’s. The prince’s parents had both been killed tragically when the boy was still young, leaving him the sole heir of his kingdom and unfit to rule. So this slimy looking man had been ruling in his place until the young man was ready to take over the responsibilities, the first step of which was finding him a suitable wife. 

“There is a lamp,” the cold voice suddenly said to him, filling his mind. Six years ago, Tohru might have flinched or jumped, but by now he was used to the sudden intrusion of coldness into his psyche. “There is a magic lamp, and you must get it. It is in the possession of a nearby shogun, in her castle.” 

A lamp? Well, surely the important thing to note was the ‘magic’ part. He wondered what it did, but the voice said nothing further. 

He tuned back into the dreadfully boring conversation in time to hear the slimy man, Ikutsuki or something, complimenting Princess Yui on her good looks.

“And I believe my dear prince Minato also finds you beautiful? Don’t you, Minato?” he asked. The blue-haired man simply nodded, not even bothering to take his hands out of the pockets of his hakama. Tohru rolled his eyes.

“And you are beautiful as well, Prince Minato,” Yui spoke. Minato’s one visible eye widened a little. Ikutsuki chuckled, nervously. “Oh? Do you find that funny? I find it interesting that princes and princesses are never spoken of in the same way. Princes are always smart and strong and brave, and princesses are always beautiful and kind and...submissive.” Even more nervous laughter bubbled up from the crowd that had accompanied the prince. Tohru heard Dojima sigh and elbow Yui. Yui also sighed, but nodded and bowed to Prince Minato, who bowed as well. 

“Y-yes, well, let us, um, let us present you with our gifts to you, Princess…” Ikutsuki sputtered. Minato remained silent and still. God, he would be a terrible ruler, wouldn’t he? Someone like him wouldn’t be able to keep Yui in check at all. She’d have the full run of the place, could do anything she wanted. And the first thing she would do, Tohru was sure, was fire him! She was so insufferable. 

In any case, Tohru had better things to be doing. He caught Dojima’s eye and nodded his head in the direction of the door that lead to his study. Dojima nodded, and with that he was mercifully released from this awful meeting. He wasted no time in getting on the other side of that door, lighting a few candles with a flick of his wrist.

“Where is the lamp?” he asked aloud. The cold woman’s voice echoed through his mind almost immediately. 

“To the east,” she said. “It is in the castle of the Kirijo clan. They do not know of its power, only that it is a beautiful and treasured artifact.” 

“What does the lamp do?” he asked.

“The lamp contains a powerful being called a genie,” the cold voice told him. “This genie is bound by a contract to grant the owner of the lamp three wishes.” 

“Wishes?” he asked.

“Yes,” the voice said. “Get the lamp, and you will not need to find the Wild Card.” 

Well, thank goodness for that, because he was having absolutely _no luck_ on that front. 

“Can I simply purchase the lamp from them?” he asked. The voice chuckled.

“They will require more money than you could possibly acquire,” the voice replied. “You must steal the lamp.” Tohru frowned again. He was a powerful magician, but something like this was beyond his capabilities. He would need a thief, then. And not just any thief, but a thief capable of sneaking into a well-guarded stronghold, at that. He’d heard of the Kirijo clan. In fact, they were among the first of his targets for invasion, should he ever convince the foolhardy, peace-loving Dojima to expand the empire that was Inaba. 

Or… Maybe, with this lamp, he didn’t need to convince Dojima of anything. Three wishes, huh? Maybe one of them could be to make him the ruler of Inaba. Now, there was an idea. He felt his mouth curl into a smirk. There was an idea!

* * *

Yosuke didn’t really think that Yukiko was going to sneak back out of the castle to visit him. Teddie did think so, though, and so Yosuke found himself with nothing to do for once in his life, because heading into the market to steal breakfast was both unnecessary and might lead to them missing her if she did actually drop by. After dropping Yukiko off at the castle gate he’d made good on his promise to spend the money on food... but he’d also swiped a few rolls of parchment and some ink and quills, just to be safe.

So, now he and Teddie were sitting on the bank of the Samegawa, crudely constructed fishing poles in hand and lines in the water. The fish weren’t biting, though. They hadn’t been biting for a while now, which was part of the reason why he and Teddie had taken to stealing food from the marketplace. Well, that and it was both easier and tastier. Yosuke had never liked the taste of fish very much in the first place, and trying to depend only on what he could catch and what he could grow in the garden had stopped being appealing to him years ago. 

“The fish aren’t biting,” Teddie complained. Yosuke sighed.

“Well, they won’t if you keep complaining about it,” he admonished. Teddie grumbled, and then he pulled his line out of the river and laid back on the bank. A few minutes went by, until Teddie made an interested noise and sat up, looking behind Yosuke. 

“Oh! Hey! It’s Sensei!” he cheered, and Yosuke blinked, turning to look. Indeed, there was someone approaching them. She was still wearing the brown cloak, but as she got closer Yosuke noticed that she’d traded out the expensive-looking hakama for ones that were much closer to what a commoner would actually wear. He pulled his own line out of the river and stood up to greet her with a grin.

“I didn’t think you’d come, honestly,” he said, once she got close enough. She looked mock-hurt.

“And why not?” she asked. He shrugged.

“I’m not really used to people keeping their promises. It’s a nice feeling,” he said. She looked a little hurt, but didn’t say anything about it.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked, obviously changing topics. Yosuke gestured to the fishing rods by their feet.

“Fishing. Well, mostly just passing the time, because the fish aren’t biting,” he said. She cocked her head and looked down at the fishing rods, looking a bit confused. “Have...have you never seen anyone fishing?”

“Honestly? No. I always thought that people pulled the fish out of the river with big nets?” she asked. Yosuke nodded.

“Yeah, they do, but that takes a lot of guys. This you can do by yourself, and with barely any work,” he said. He sat down, patting the spot on the river bank next to him. “Here, I’ll show you.”

“Okay,” she said, smiling as she took a seat. Damn, she was cute. He picked up his rod, and noticed that Teddie had sat down and cast his line back out into the river. He held it up, showing her the caterpillar he had speared onto the crudely made metal hook.

“So, you have to put bait on it, something that a fish would want to eat. You put it on the hook, so that when the fish bites the bait, the hook goes through its mouth! Then you just have to pull it in, and voila, fish!” he explained. She actually looked fascinated.

“That’s so simple!” she marveled. He nodded, casting the line out into the river to join Teddie’s. “Oh, what’s that floating?”

“That’s a piece of cork,” Yosuke explained. “You watch it, and if it bobs underwater, you’ll know you have a fish on the line! ...or, it’s stuck on a rock, or something.”

“That’s so smart! Did you figure that out yourself, Yosuke?” she asked. He found himself blushing at the compliment. 

“Nah, my old man showed me before he...well. You know,” he replied. He instantly regretted it, as the mood went south very quickly after that, Yukiko looking terribly awkward. “Um...uh, do you want to try it, Yukiko?”

“What?” she asked, looking startled that he’d used her name. Oh. Maybe he should have called her Miss Amagi? Was he being improper? “Oh, um, if you’re sure…” 

“I offered, didn’t I? Don’t expect too much, though. Like I said, the fish haven’t been biting at all,” he said, handing the fishing rod over to her. She nodded, taking the rod and looking serious. 

“So, Sensei, you didn’t get into any trouble on the way here today, did you?” Teddie asked, leaning around Yosuke to look at her. She laughed.

“No, no, I was much more careful today, Teddie,” she explained. “And, look, I’m dressed much more like a commoner today! And I look way more like a boy, don’t I?” 

“Absolutely!” Teddie agreed, nodding emphatically. “Teddie likes the ladies, but Teddie could be swayed by your boyish charms too, Sensei!” Yosuke rolled his eyes at Teddie’s weird, weird flirting. 

“I’d advise you to leave those rings and that pendant at home, next time,” Yosuke pointed out. Yukiko blinked, looking down at her hands and back up at him. 

“Oh…” she said. 

“It’s fine, it’s just that things like that are very easy for pickpockets to steal,” Yosuke said.

“Sure. I’ll do that… Oh, well, the rings, at least. What about the pendant? It’s fine, isn’t it?” she asked. Yosuke frowned.

“Well, no, not really. A good thief could get that easily,” he warned. She looked a little sad.

“Oh...well, I guess I should leave it. I’d hate for it to get stolen. It belonged to my mother…” she trailed off. 

“Miss Amagi, at the inn?” he asked. He knew they were rich, due to the prosperity of the inn, but he didn’t know they were _that_ rich. The pendant was fine silver, embedded with some kind of polished white gems. Yukiko blushed, eyes widening.

“Oh! Oh no, I’m sorry, I’ve done it again. It belonged to the… to Lady Narukami, before she…” Yukiko trailed off. 

“Oh…” Yosuke replied. The mood was dark again. Yosuke tried to mentally beg Teddie to say something, anything, to lift the mood, but the bear didn’t seem to be getting the hint.

Then he heard a splashing sound.

“Oh!” Yukiko exclaimed. “I think it’s a fish!” she pulled on the rod, and sure enough, a fish about four inches long was on the hook. She laughed. “Oh! Look, Yosuke, I did it!” 

“You did!” Yosuke said, proud. “Nice. If you want, I can cook that up for you for lunch.” 

“You and Teddie can have it. I have to be back at the castle again before sundown,” she replied. Well, it wasn’t a very big fish, so that meant Teddie was going to eat it. That suited Yosuke just fine, though, because he still wasn’t a huge fan of fish in the first place. 

Fish_ing_ though… if Yukiko looked as delighted to reel in a fish every time, maybe he would start to become a fan…

“And I brought snacks,” Yukiko added. She opened a satchel, which Yosuke had only just now noticed, pulling out three apples. 

“Sensei, you’re the best!” Teddie exclaimed. He rocked forward on the bank, and Yosuke had to shoot a hand out to keep him from falling into the water. Yukiko looked startled, but then laughed.

“Well, now that you’ve taught me how to fish, why don’t we get to those reading lessons, hmm?” she asked, putting the apples back and standing up. Yosuke nodded, and he and Teddie stood, heading back to the nearby house with Yukiko in tow. 

As they were walking, Yosuke nonchalantly moved behind Yukiko just for a split second, unclasping the pendant around her neck and palming it quickly. She didn’t notice, too engrossed with a conversation with Teddie. He decided that he’d surprise her with it a little later, to really drive the lesson home that it was easy to steal. If she treasured it as much as she said she did, she really did need to leave it at home.

The lessons went surprisingly well. At first, Yosuke found it hard to hold the quill, and it took him a while to figure out when he was supposed to dip it in the ink. It wasn’t hard to form the shapes of the letters, although his and Teddie’s looked abysmal next to the smooth, fluid lines that Yukiko made. They took a break halfway through to eat lunch, Yosuke grilling up the fish for Teddie, while he and Yukiko had apples and tea. 

By the time the sun was starting to hang threateningly low towards the atmosphere, Yosuke felt like he’d learned many letters… and he’d forgotten all about the pendant. 

This time, a sober Teddie accompanied them as they escorted her back to the castle. She insisted that she didn’t need the escort, but was happy for the company. 

“When can you come back?” Yosuke asked, as they neared the castle gates. 

“I will try to come back tomorrow,” she declared, sounding adamant. Yosuke grinned.

“Sounds good. Why don’t we meet at the same place tomorrow? You can get some more practice fishing,” he suggested. She nodded.

“All right. Until then, Yosuke,” Yukiko answered. She waved goodbye to them as they set off for the market district, and she disappeared through the castle gates.

Yosuke didn’t remember the pendant, in fact, until after they had stolen their dinner and made it all the way back to their house with only a few close calls with the guards. He’d stashed the pendant in one of his loot pouches, and he felt himself instantly go pale when his hand brushed against it as he was emptying the pouch.

“Oh no,” he said. Teddie looked at him, curious, and he withdrew the pendant. 

“Isn’t that Sensei’s pendant? Yosuke, you—” Teddie exclaimed.

“I didn’t do it on purpose! I was going to give it back to her, honest! I just wanted her to know how easy it was to steal!” he protested. He looked down at the pendant. “Aww, man…”

“Maybe you can give it back to her tomorrow?” Teddie asked, but Yosuke shook his head.

“No way. Once she sees it’s gone, she’ll think I stole it on purpose! There’s no way she’ll come back out here...well, maybe to confront me about it, but…” Yosuke bit his lip. “I think...I’m gonna have to sneak into the castle and give it back to her.”

“Whaaaaaaaaaat?!” Teddie cried. He couldn’t tell if Teddie was in shock or excited. “Wow, sneak into the castle! Can you even do that?!”

“I used to do it all the time!” Yosuke protested. “When I was...seven or eight.” He sighed. “But it’ll be a cinch, right? I just have to sneak in, give her the pendant, explain what happened, and then sneak back out. Easy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos this chapter: Shuji Ikutsuki, Minato Arisato/Makoto Yuki/P3 Protagonist


	6. Chapter 6

It was so not easy, but Yosuke had done it. He’d made it past so many guards patrolling the walls and interior of the castle. He’d made it through the courtyard, safely under the cover of night. He’d lucked into finding a haori that made him look like one of the servants, blending in effortlessly. He’d even swiped a tray with a teapot and cups on it, just to really sell the look. 

He didn’t know where the princess’s chambers were, but it didn’t take long for him to find them. He just had to go where the guards were more heavily stationed. Somehow, by some miracle, not a single one recognized him and they all let him pass unimpeded. That probably spoke more to how the guards thought of the servants, he supposed. 

It hadn’t been easy, but he’d done it. He was here, knocking on the door of the princess’s chamber. He felt pretty proud of his accomplishment, so far. And, hey, if he was lucky he’d get to meet the elusive Princess Yui, who hadn’t been seen outside the castle in six years. 

“Who is it?” came a familiar voice from the other side of the door. He relaxed a little. Good, Yukiko was here. He cleared his throat.

“Tea, milady?” he asked. The door creaked open, and a woman with long, elegant black hair peeked out. 

“I don’t think we ordered tea…” she trailed off. Yosuke was floored. The princess had answered the door?! _This_ was the princess?? Well, she was certainly as beautiful as all the hearsay had claimed, at least.

“Oh, um, I ordered tea!” a familiar voice exclaimed behind her, and then the door was being slid even further open, and there was Yukiko, only she looked… different. Instead of the short boyish haircut Yosuke was used to, she had long, flowing waves of silver hair draping down her back. The bangs were the same, at least. A wig, perhaps? She was also wearing a lovely dark gray kimono, accentuating her feminine features so much more than the hakama had.

Yeah, Yosuke was smitten. 

“You did?” the black-haired woman, Princess Yui, asked. Yukiko nodded emphatically.

“I did! Come in, please,” she said, sliding the door all the way open. Princess Yui blinked and shrugged, withdrawing from the doorway. Yosuke was shocked to suddenly find himself getting pulled into the chamber by Yukiko, who was way stronger than he would have thought she was. The door practically slammed shut behind him with a clack that was a little bit intimidating. 

“You don’t look like one of the servants,” Princess Yui accused, looking at him with scrutiny.

“Um, I’m new!” he exclaimed. Yukiko shook her head.

“Yuk— Yui, _Princess Yui,_ this is the...gentleman I told you about. The one I met in the market?” Yukiko said. Princess Yui looked confused, but then seemed to perk up.

“Oh! The one that you have a cr—” she started, but Yukiko waved her arms frantically to shush her.

“The one that stole my pendant,” she corrected, rounding on him. “And I do hope you’ve come all this way to apologize for that and return it?” 

“I have,” Yosuke replied. He pulled the pendant out of one of his pouches, holding it out to her with what he hoped was a deeply apologetic look on his face. “Look, I meant to return it to you earlier, honestly! It was supposed to be a lesson on how easy it is to steal!” 

Yukiko sighed, taking the pendant back from him and looking it over, before slipping it back onto her neck. 

“I want to believe you, especially as you went to the trouble of sneaking in here…” she trailed off. Princess Yui rounded on her, looking furious.

“You’re going to _forgive him_?” she demanded.

“Well, I mean…” Yukiko replied.

“I cannot recommend this! Do you know how furious Dojima-san would be if he knew you were consorting with, with a _thief_?!” Princess Yui demanded.

“I-I’m not _consorting_ with him!” Yukiko defended, blushing furiously. “We’re just friends!”

“Yu…” Princess Yui trailed off. Yukiko cleared her throat and elbowed the princess. “Oh! Right! Um, Yu-Yukiko!” 

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Yukiko, and you are Princess Yui,” Yukiko said. 

Well, that was weird. 

“Y-yes!” Princess Yui agreed. “I just, you know, our names are so similar,” she turned to Yosuke to explain. “Sometimes I call hi-_her_ Yu as a nickname! But, oh, that’s so, um, improper for someone of my stature to do, you know? What with all my, um, gold and fine jewels and silks and all that!”

“Too much,” Yukiko muttered, and Princess Yui blushed. She was really cute, too. 

“Sorry,” Princess Yui replied. Yukiko turned to him.

“She doesn’t get out much,” she explained. Yosuke nodded. This whole situation was weird, but it was probably better than being in prison... Or Yukiko hating him for the rest of her life. 

“Well, um, I brought you the pendant back, so, I hope you’ll forgive me?” he asked. Yukiko nodded. 

“Yes. Thank you. And I’ll heed your advice from now on, and leave all of the jewelry at home,” she said. Yosuke smiled, sighing in relief.

“Great,” he answered. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Princess Yui looking between them, rapidly, before she cleared her throat.

“Um, so, I’m going to go… over here and, you know, read books and write poetry and other princess-ly stuff!” she announced, before making a very expeditious retreat. Yukiko watched her go, blushing and suddenly looking shell-shocked. She turned back to him with wide eyes.

“Um,” they both started at the same time. She looked down at her feet. 

“You first,” she said.

“No, you first,” Yosuke replied, trying and failing not to find the entire thing _adorable as hell_.

“Well, I...thank you, for returning the pendant, and for the advice, and… Well, just, thank you,” she said. 

“No problem,” he replied. He felt something brush against one of his legs and startled, looking down to find a small orange cat looking up at him expectantly. 

“A cat?” he asked, bending down and holding his hand out towards it. The tabby sniffed his hand and evidently found him satisfactory, practically smashing its face into against his fingers. He laughed. “Hey, calm down little guy!” 

“Oh, that’s Mikan,” Yukiko said, crouching down beside him.

“He’s very friendly,” Yosuke said, scratching the wildly purring cat behind the ears. Another cat, this one a silvery grey, suddenly appeared in Yosuke’s peripheral vision. He crouched and held his other hand out to the new cat. 

“And that’s Tsuki, and...oh, hold still,” Yukiko said. 

“Hm?” Yosuke asked, but he suddenly felt a small weight fall onto one of his shoulders, turning to find a white cat with blue eyes staring at him. “Whoa!”

“And that’s Shiro,” Yukiko continued. “She’s usually shy with strangers, but it looks like she likes you.” Shiro was rubbing her face against Yosuke’s cheek, also purring. 

“How many cats to you have?” Yosuke asked, seeing a blur of black approaching. Yukiko giggled.

“Nearly a dozen,” she admitted. “They really seem to like you, Yosuke!” A calico had arrived as well and had basically shoved Tsuki out of the way to rub against Yosuke’s hand. He was still petting Mikan, who looked like he was having the time of his life. 

“That’s a lot of cats,” Yosuke laughed. “I’m glad they like me, at least?” Yukiko also laughed. She reached out and scooped Shiro off of his shoulder, allowing him to stand up. 

“You should probably go. The longer you’re in here, the more suspicious the guards will be,” Yukiko pointed out. He nodded. The cats looked nonplussed, but started to wander away. Mikan rubbed against his ankle on the way. “Be safe sneaking out, okay?”

“Of course,” Yosuke said with a wink. “But I got in here just fine, so getting back out will be a breeze!” 

“I hope so. Take care. And, I’ll see you tomorrow morning on the river bank?” she asked. He nodded. “Okay.”

“Take care, Yukiko,” he said. “And, uh, good luck with the princess.” She laughed. He turned to leave, sliding the wooden door open enough to peek his head out and look up and down the hallway. After determining that it was all clear, he stepped out. The door shut behind him, and he started back in the direction he knew the entrance to be. 

He would have been fine, honestly, if he hadn’t bumped into Chie. Literally, in fact. He rounded a corner a little too quickly, hyped up on adrenaline and excitement, and ran right into her. 

“Sorry,” he apologized, immediately bowing as low as possible to hopefully conceal his face, as soon as he realized it was her. 

“Watch where you’re going!” she exclaimed. There was a beat of silence, and he just kept bowing. “...Yosuke?”

“I don’t know who that is,” he replied, trying to make his voice sound deeper to hopefully throw her off. He could _hear_ her frown. 

“Yosuke, we’ve been friends our whole lives, I know it’s you. What are you doing in here?” she asked, grabbing his shoulder and hauling him up. 

“Nothing!” he protested. She frowned. She was about to say something else when the worst possible thing happened. Captain Sanada rounded the corner. 

“Satonaka, what are you…” he trailed off, catching sight of Yosuke. Yosuke went pale, Chie’s eyes went wide in shock, and Captain Sanada’s eyes narrowed, a wide, deep frown etching itself across his face. 

“I’m not—” Yosuke started, but Sanada had crossed the distance at near light speed, it seemed, and had grabbed him out of Chie’s grip, hoisting him into the air by the front of his hakama. _Shit_. 

“Trying to rob the castle now, are you? I’m a fool for ever believing Satonaka and Tatsumi that you have a single noble bone in your body!” Sanada roared. _Shit, shit, shit!_

“W-wait, Captain—” Chie said, but Sanada ignored him. 

“I _should_ have you executed on the spot, but for now you’re going in the dungeon,” Sanada continued. Yosuke gulped.

“Th-thank you for your mercy,” he managed to choke out. Imprisonment was better than death, he supposed, but there was _no way_ he was going to be able to get out of this one. Even if he told the truth, at best no-one would believe him, and at worst he’d get Yukiko in trouble!

_Shit!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Instead of having a tiger Yui has a dozen cats, because of course.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens!

“A thief snuck into the castle,” the cold woman’s voice said, interrupting the dream Tohru Adachi had been having. It was fine, he supposed, because the dream was of an endless yellow fog, and this was much better. He was awake instantly.

“The thief is being held in the dungeon. He is the one who can get you the lamp,” the woman’s voice continued. 

“Excellent,” Tohru replied. He quickly slipped into a dark hakama, splashing water on his face to wake up, and made his way out of his chamber. He arrived at the dungeon shortly, intimidating the guard into letting him pass without incident. There were a number of peasants and scum being held in the dungeon, but Tohru knew where to go almost on instinct. 

The boy in the cell was definitely the one. He was dirty, but didn’t look like he’d been in the jail for more than a few hours. As if feeling Tohru’s stare on him, he blinked awake and looked up at him, afraid.

“Who are you?” he asked. Tohru’s mouth curved into a smirk.

“You don’t need to know that,” he said. He motioned at the guard that he had intimidated, and the guard moved over towards him, warily. “Bring me something to put over this knave’s head, and send word to my servants. I’m going to need horses.”

* * *

Yosuke was, honestly, terrified. He’d been dragged out of the jail cell and had a sack of some kind thrown over his head and tied around his neck. His hands were tied behind his back, too, and he was carried roughly up some stairs and through what he assumed to be the courtyard, before being thrown unceremoniously onto the back of a horse. The horseback ride had been grueling, made especially worse by the fact that he couldn’t use his hands to hold onto the horse at all, and only the rough hands of the person riding behind him kept him upright. Somehow, though, he became so exhausted from fear that he fell asleep.

He was thrown, hard, off of the horse and onto what was probably forest floor, if the crackling of leaves underneath him was of any indication.

“Kubo, you dolt, be more careful with him!” he heard someone say. Rough hands forced him to sit up and untied the rope around his neck, tugging the rough, scratchy bag off of him. He blinked, his vision focusing to find that he was indeed in a forest. Trees stretched in every direction, and the sky was an endless pale blue above him. Someone sat down beside him, and he turned to look, finding the dark-haired man that had confronted him outside of his cell.

“Who are you?” he croaked, through a dry throat. He was so thirsty, and so hungry…

“I told you, boy, you don’t need to know that,” the man responded. He was dressed in all black, and carrying a wicked looking staff made of black wood, with red lines all across it. He was dangerous, Yosuke could tell, just from his posture. To an untrained eye, he looked perfectly at ease, but Yosuke knew that he could probably kill him at a moment’s notice. Yosuke tried to swallow, but his throat was dry.

“What do you want from me?” he asked, and the man smirked.

“Ah yes, there we go. Asking the questions that actually matter,” he said. “You were able to sneak into the castle, past so many patrolling guards, into Princess Yui’s chamber! That is quite an accomplishment, young man. Those are just the skills I need.”

“What do you mean?” Yosuke rasped. The man turned to talk to someone that was evidently behind Yosuke. 

“Cut his bonds, and bring him some food and water, Kubo,” the man ordered. 

“At once,” came the reply, a voice that was so flatly monotone that it made Yosuke shiver. He felt hands on his hands, and a flash of something cold, and then the ropes at his wrists were cut. He immediately brought them in front of him, trying to massage the numbness out of them. A water skin, an apple, and some kind of dried meat were thrust into his hands by a pudgy, plain looking man that was probably right around Yosuke’s own age. The man, Kubo, looked creepy with his blank, dull stare.

“Thank you,” Yosuke managed. He turned his attention to the water skin, drinking deeply from it and trying really hard not to be intimidated by the attention of two very, very unnerving people on him. He tried the apple next, finishing it off quickly before starting on the meat.

“Now then,” the dark-haired man said, as he was nearing the end of his ‘meal’. He stood up, and Kubo moved away. Yosuke stood up as well, wearily. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” The dark haired man turned away from him. Yosuke thought about running, but decided it would be best, for now, to go along with whatever this dangerous man wanted him to do. He followed, realizing that they were approaching a cliff. 

“Look down there,” the dark haired man ordered, pointing with his staff. Yosuke looked, seeing a large, bustling city laid out at the bottom of the cliff, nestled between trees in in the north and nearly spilling out onto a beach in the south. It was easily two or three times the size of Inaba, with a castle in the center of the city that was also several times bigger. “Somewhere inside that castle, there is an artifact that I want. It is a golden lamp, inlaid with purple jewels. You will sneak into that castle, steal the lamp, and bring it to me. Anything else you manage to steal is yours for the taking, but you must bring me the lamp.”

“That’s…” Yosuke breathed, feeling panic start to swell up inside of him. “There’s no way! I can’t do something like that!”

“You can, and you _must_,” the dark haired man insisted, rounding on him. “Bring me the lamp, or your life is forfeit. I will have you hunted down. You can never return to Inaba.” 

“But, I—” Yosuke protested.

“The instant you set foot in Inaba, you will undoubtedly be captured and executed,” the dark-haired man continued.

“But I didn’t steal anything from the palace! Honestly! They searched me and found nothing!” Yosuke finally exclaimed. “I get that sneaking into the palace is wrong, but I’m innocent!”

“But you were consorting with the princess,” the dark-haired man replied. Yosuke blinked.

“I...what? No, that was her handmaiden,” Yosuke replied. “A-and I wasn’t consorting with her! We’re just friends!” The dark-haired man shook his head. 

“What kind of handmaiden would be allowed to wear such expensive jewelry? Wear the pendant of the former Lady Narukami?” he asked. Yosuke’s eyes went wide. He sat down, heavily, on the forest floor, as things clicked into place. Oh. Of course.

He’d met the Amagis. Neither of them had silver hair — both had black, in fact, the same color as “Princess Yui”, only there was no way that _she_ was the princess. Lady Narukami’s hair had been bright silver, hadn’t it? It was the most striking feature about her. 

So, that woman, that amazing, clueless, adorable woman that he’d saved, that had tried to teach him how to read, that he’d taught how to fish… That was the Princess?

“Honestly, you’re lucky I got to you before they could carry out your sentence. Breaking into the Princess’s private chambers? Stealing the pendant of the late Lady Narukami?” the dark-haired man laughed. “Consider this your second and only chance, boy. Sneak into that castle, steal the lamp, and bring it to me. I’ll have all of your charges dropped. I’ll set you up in a modest house and have food delivered to you daily. You and your ‘little brother’ won’t need to steal any more to get by.” 

“You-you know about Teddie?!” Yosuke demanded, shooting to his feet. The smirk on the dark-haired man’s face was bone-chilling.

“Think of what might happen to that poor, pitiful boy without you around to protect him? All the trouble he could get into?” the dark-haired man suggested. Yosuke felt the pit drop out of his stomach. 

“A-all right,” he stammered. “All right, I’ll do it. I’ll get you the damn lamp.”

“Good,” the dark-haired man said. “There are only a few hours until nightfall, boy. I have some maps of the city and the castle. Study them.” 

“Y...yes,” Yosuke agreed. A cold wind blew through the area, and Yosuke pretended that was the reason he was shaking so badly.


	8. Chapter 8

The last rays of the sun were peeking over the mountains as Yosuke made his way through the streets of Port Tatsumi. He moved fluidly through the busy streets, ducking around people as he made his way toward the gates of the huge castle in the distance. This was going to be easy, he told himself. All he had to do was sneak into a gigantic castle he’d never been in, in a town he’d never been in, evade guards he was unfamiliar with, and find a lamp somewhere in said gigantic castle. _Easy_. Well, he’d all but memorized the maps of the castle, so there was that, at least. 

He had to do this, he told himself. He had to do this for Teddie. This was the longest they’d ever been apart for as long as he could remember. Who knew what the stupid bear was getting into?! Yes, he could take care of himself as he was a literal, actual magical bear, but…

Well, Yosuke could still worry. He was still his older brother, if not in blood, in name at least. 

It wasn’t long before he was nearing the castle gates. The city was huge, but Yosuke moved through it quickly enough. He supposed it was because he wasn’t _constantly_ having to duck around the guards here. He was a nobody here, just some peasant visiting from somewhere else. Being a port town, there were probably new people here constantly. One new person wearing ragged clothes wasn’t going to attract any attention. Or at least, he hoped.

According to the maps that the black-haired man had made him study, there was a large tree growing near the perimeter fence that he could climb to get inside the castle easily. He made his way, calmly and quickly, around the fence and, sure enough, there was a gargantuan cherry tree growing right beside it. He made sure nobody was around and climbed up the tree, climbing a little higher than necessary to survey the area inside the castle. There was a huge, sprawling garden inside, complete with a pond and a flowing creek with several bridges. So far it was just like the maps he’d been shown. He shuffled down the tree and out onto a limb, dropping down inside the castle perimeter noiselessly. 

So far, so good.

There really was no telling where the lamp was being kept, but the dark-haired man had had a few guesses. First and foremost was the main entryway, so that the Kirijos could show off the lamp to any visiting guests, to rub their wealth and status in their faces. Yosuke decided to check there first. He stuck to the fence for a while, moving quietly and low to the ground, until he found a line of creeping vines that were growing on a long trellis. He used that for cover, moving toward the building itself with no issue. There were guards and other people milling about the courtyard, but they were mostly around the front gates themselves, having no reason to suspect anyone of trying to sneak in from another route. 

After hesitating for a few moments, Yosuke was almost ready to try to just sneak in under the noses of the guards, but suddenly there was some kind of commotion at the front gates that drew their attention. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Yosuke used to distraction to slip inside, undetected as far as he knew. A quick glance around the front entryway and all he spotted were paintings and tapestries hanging up, no lamps or lamp-shaped objects in sight. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy, to be honest.

The second most likely place, the dark-haired man had deduced, was in the castle’s large, ornately decorated meeting room. This was where lords, shogun, and sometimes foreign powers would meet with the head of the Kirijo clan, and so there were bound to be impressive artifacts and artwork in there. Yosuke moved further into the castle, knowing the room was down a long corridor and up a flight of stairs. He moved quietly, straining his ears for any noise, watching with laser focus for any movement in the corridor. There was none. At this time of the night, most of the people in the castle would undoubtedly be in the mess hall. 

He made it up the stairs with no difficulty and found himself in a large, dark, empty room. A little bit of moonlight filtered in from windows high up on the walls, allowing him to see well enough to avoid the large wooden table and many chairs that were around it. The walls were, indeed, lined with an assortment of treasures. There were swords, axes, spears, bows, shields and armor mounted the walls, glittering silver in the moonlight. There were more tapestries, more painted artworks. There were ornate mirrors, beautifully sculpted pots, and all manner of jade and silver sculpted into various animals. 

And there, at the back of the room, sitting almost innocuous between a beautiful marble swan and an ornate onyx vase, was the lamp. It didn’t look like any kind of lamp Yosuke had ever seen, but it matched the description given to him to an uncanny degree. It was golden with some kind of purple gems embedded in the handle and the base, and it was resting inside of a box made of glass. 

His heart in his throat, Yosuke closed his eyes and listened, but aside from the distant sounds of guards marching in the courtyard and the hooting of owls, Yosuke heard nothing. Okay. He’d found the lamp, but now he just had to get it out of the glass box and out of the palace. And out of the city. He took a deep breath. One thing at a time. The first order of business was the glass box. Three sides were glass, and the fourth, the bottom, was wood. He was easily able to pick up the box, but it was too big and too fragile for him to take the whole thing like that. He was going to have to open the box...somehow. 

Several minutes of careful examination, and he had no ideas on how to get the box open without breaking the glass and, most likely, alerting people to his presence. He was starting to get nervous, but pressed on with his examination. Eventually he picked the box up and moved directly into a patch of moonlight that was now streaming in from one of the windows, and when he did he noticed a small latch in the bottom that he hadn’t seen before. His nimble hands made quick work of the latch, and the lamp slid out of a hole just big enough to pull it through. He quickly stashed the lamp in one of his pouches, returning the box to where it had been sitting. Great. He had the lamp. Now, he just had to leave.

He was down the stairs and almost to the end of the corridor when he heard voices and saw torch light. He flattened himself to the wall and held his breath, praying that the approaching people weren’t headed to the meeting room. The torch light got brighter, the voices louder, and two men dressed in brightly colored kimono passed by the opening to the corridor, one with a torch in hand. They both laughed at something one of them said, and passed on, none the wiser. It was several seconds before Yosuke let out his breath and pressed on. He made it out of the entryway easily, moving quickly to the cover of the trellis, where he stopped and waited, watching and listening. None of the guards that he could see had seemed to notice him at all.

It wasn’t until he was nearly back at the tree that he let himself breathe a little more easily. He waited until he was absolutely certain nobody was watching before he scrambled up the side of the wall, using cracks in the stone as footing, and hauled himself back up into the tree. A few more minutes of watching and waiting, and no guards inside the castle nor people outside of it seemed to notice or care about his presence. He made his way back down the tree, turned a few corners, and was back among the hustle and bustle of the town, just as lively after dark as it had been during the daylight. It was almost overwhelming, he found himself thinking, compared to the quiet stillness of Inaba after sunset. 

Yosuke wasn’t quite in the clear yet, though, and he knew it. For starters, who knew how long it would be before the lamp was found to be missing? If he was lucky, hours. If he was unlucky, there were already guards patrolling the city looking for someone shady, someone that didn’t quite belong. There was also the long trek to his rendezvous location with the dark-haired man. In the dark. In the woods. 

There were stories about creatures in these woods. Beings that were something like the animals that they hunted, only...not. Different, somehow. Nobody that had encountered them had lived to tell the tale, of course. Most people referred to them as simply “Shadows.” Yosuke was not keen to meet one, ever. Nobody was, which was why everyone stayed inside after dark in Inaba. The hustle and bustle and lights of the city here probably deterred the Shadows, which was why it was so lively after dark. Probably.

Maybe he could convince an innkeeper to let him sleep on the floor, or find an alleyway to tuck himself into for the night? Surely, the dark-haired man could wait a few hours for his precious lamp, right? 

He saw a patrolling guard, metallic armor gleaming in the moonlight, and decided he didn’t want to risk it. He was out of the guard’s sight before the guard could even get a good look at him. 

The further he got into the outskirts of the city, and toward the woods, the less people there were and the more unnerved he got. He looked up at the moon, bright and full, and found himself thankful for at least that. At the very least he wouldn’t accidentally walk off of a cliff with this much moonlight to see by. Of course, that probably meant that the Shadows could see him better, but… 

He shook his head to clear out the thoughts. He had to do this. He _could_ do this. It wasn’t far to the rendezvous point, and then he could travel safely on horseback back to Inaba and put all of this behind him. He’d live in a proper house with a proper diet, and Teddie would be able to eat as much as his bear heart desired, and…

Well. Princess Yui would get married to some stupid prince, and the prince would rule Inaba. Maybe he’d be a good ruler? Hopefully he would. Hopefully he would cherish the princess as much as Yosuke would cherish her if _he _was a prince. Maybe things wouldn’t be too bad after all? He just had to get this lamp to that guy, and it would all be over. 

He moved quietly through the underbrush with careful, practiced footsteps, hardly upsetting a single leaf as he made his way steadily back up the cliffside toward his destination. 

Why did that guy want this lamp, he wondered? What was so special about it, anyway? He paused in the deep, dark shadow between two massive trees, and fished the lamp out of his pouch. It was surely worth a fortune, being made of gold and jewels, but that couldn’t be the reason the dark-haired guy wanted it, right? There had to be something special about it. Maybe it was magic? It certainly looked magical. What kind of a lamp was it, anyway? Where were you supposed to put the wick? How did you light it? 

There was a sudden, audible shift in the underbrush nearby, and Yosuke hastily stuffed the lamp back into the pouch, crouching as quietly as possible, eyes darting around for the source of the sound. A sudden, loud gurgling noise to his left made Yosuke jump, startled, all too aware of the fact that he had no weapons to defend himself with. Just the stupid lamp. Maybe he could hit something with it? 

He strained to see in the darkness, the moonlight doing him no good here in the deep shadows. As soon as he decided to start backing up slowly, to try to get back into the moonlight, he heard the gurgling noise again. And then, in the blink of an eye, there were two bright yellow eyes staring at him through the darkness. He barely managed not to yelp in surprise, stumbling backwards in fright, leaves crunching under his suddenly uncoordinated steps. The back of one foot connected with a tree root, sending him tumbling backwards, out of the shadow of the trees and into a patch of moonlight. He sat up and scrambled to his feet, watching in horror as something stepped out of the patch of shadow he’d just been hiding in. 

It was _himself_.

Well, not quite. 

It was the same height as him, same build, same features, but it seemed to be made entirely out of shades of black and grey...except for the eyes. They were that bright, glowing golden, and they were the scariest thing about this creature. Blackness seemed to just kind of drip and melt off of the creature, oozing around its feet. Yosuke felt paralyzed with fear staring at it as it slowly moved toward him, before abruptly stopping, mouth twisting into a gruesome smile.

And then, it _spoke_.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here,” the creature said, in Yosuke’s voice, only not quite. There was something dark and twisted about the way it sounded that made the hairs on the back of Yosuke’s neck stand up.

And then, everything just kind of… stopped. The distant sounds of the city below just _stopped_. The sound of crickets abruptly cut off. The moonlight, a pale silvery blue, abruptly turned a sickly shade of green. The wind high in the treetops abruptly froze. Everything froze in place, aside from Yosuke himself and the shadow being that looked and sounded like him. 

“W-who are you?” Yosuke asked, his voice barely above a whisper. The creature laughed.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m _you_,” it replied. Yosuke shook his head.

“N-no!” he managed. The Shadow took one very deliberate step toward him, and Yosuke’s fight or flight instincts _finally_ kicked in. He scrambled to his feet and, after frantically looking around, he took off running away from the creature. He heard it laugh, and heard disgusting, squishy steps start up after him. 

“You won’t get away from me,” the thing sang in a horrific voice. Yosuke just ran, taking care to not trip over anything in his way, but totally heedless of the direction he was running. If he’d had more of his wits about him, he might have ran for the nearby town, or even in the direction of the rendezvous point. But Yosuke was scared, and in his fright he just simply ran. He ran and ran, dodging trees and jumping over tree roots, crunched leaves and snapped twigs in his wake. He ran for what seemed like forever through the impossibly still forest, bathed in the sickly green of a moon that was just _wrong_, pursued by a horrifying apparition. 

Until he was very suddenly falling. He hadn’t run off of a cliff, he was sure of that. The ground had _looked _stable, but one of his footfalls just simply fell through the ground, and he was suddenly falling into total darkness, down a slick, slippery slope. He fell for what seemed like forever, tumbling down into darkness, before sliding to a surprisingly mild stop. Once his head stopped spinning he sat up, scrambling to his feet and frantically looking around him, certain that he was about to be devoured by more Shadow beasts. There was a patch of moonlight, which he had fallen into, illuminating the inside of the cave. He looked up, following the beam of sickly moonlight, and was startled enough to let out a yelp when he noticed the yellow eyes and dark form of the Shadow glaring down at him from high up above. Then, suddenly, the moonlight was silver again, and distant noises started up again, and the Shadow creature retreated with a snarl. 

Yosuke sat down heavily, checking to make sure he hadn’t broken anything in the fall, and discovered that somehow, miraculously, he was okay. A little bruised and bloodied, but okay. Well, as okay as he could be, given the circumstances. He sat in the patch of moonlight for a while, knees hugged to his chest. From what he could see of the cave he had fallen into, there was no easy way out. Scaling the slick walls was a fool’s errand. If he could just see a little more clearly, maybe there was another way out? But the moonlight was fading fast, and he just couldn’t see much more of the cave than what was being illuminated. He could wait for dawn, but the thought of that Shadow monster coming back had him in a low key panic. Maybe it had left to go find others of its kind? He shuddered at the thought.

Then, something occurred to him. That guy had sent him to steal a _lamp_, right? And the item he had was undoubtedly what he’d been talking about. Maybe it wasn’t like any kind of lamp Yosuke had ever seen, but it was still a lamp, wasn’t it? He took it out of the pouch and examined it. Shaking it did nothing. Taking the little lid off did nothing. Were you to pour oil into it, and then light the oil? But how would it illuminate anything that way? 

It looked like there was writing on it, now that Yosuke was looking more closely at it. It looked like he could _almost_ make it out, like the shape of the letters was at least _close_ to what Yukiko… er, Princess Yui had taught him. Maybe if he cleaned it up a little? It had gotten awfully dusty sitting in that glass box hadn’t it? He balled up part of his shirt, the least dirty part he could find, and rubbed it across the shiny, golden surface of the lamp. 

The gems lit up instantly, purple light pouring out of them and lighting up the cave. Oh, so rubbing it was what made it illuminate? But then, something strange started to happen. Purple smoke poured out of the open end of the lamp. More and more smoke poured out, and then all at once the smoke seemed to coalesce in on itself, forming a shape, a huge, humanoid shape. Before Yosuke’s very eyes, an enormous purple woman appeared in the smoke. Well, the top half was a woman, but the bottom half seemed to continue to be smoke, even as the woman loomed up into the cave, blotting out the moonlight as she did. She had enormous, smoky purple pigtails, bright purple eyes that shone like amethysts, skin a glowing lavender, and wore golden bands on her wrists. 

“Are you the one who summoned me?” she asked, her voice light and airy, sounding like the wind. Yosuke looked from her to the lamp, still clutched in his grasp, and back to her.

And he promptly fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rise is finally heeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee


	9. Chapter 9

Yosuke woke up to freezing cold water being splashed on his face. He sat bolt upright, sputtering, and opened his eyes to discover that he was still in the cave. His brain took a moment to catch up with him, and then he was looking around, panicking. There were no Shadow creatures with glowing eyes, no gigantic purple women. It was just Yosuke, laying on a surprisingly soft pillow of some kind, and a gorgeous, brown-haired woman sitting next to him, holding a pail of water. Wait.

“Who are you?!” he yelped, wincing at how it echoed through the cave. The woman put down the pail, holding up her hands in a placating motion. 

“Don’t worry, master, I’m just here to help you! I’m glad you’re finally awake though, I was really starting to worry!” the woman said. Her voice was soothing, like silver, and he felt himself relax a bit. Maybe he really had just hallucinated the shadow creature, and the giant purple woman. Maybe he’d hit his head in the fall?

“Are you real?” he asked her, skeptically. She laughed.

“As real as it gets!” she answered. He paused to examine her a little more clearly. She had the same hairstyle as the huge purple woman he had hallucinated, except now it was brown. Her skin was pale but _human colored_, thank goodness, and no longer glowing. She was wearing the same jewelry and the same fabric across her chest, but now she had legs, _thankfully_. They were covered by pants made of an ornate purple silk, which she also had draping from her wrists. 

...maybe he’d hit his head in the fall, and this woman had just so happened to be down here, and he’d seen her from ground level and _that’s_ why she’d appeared gigantic and purple? Yeah, that had to be it.

“Who are you? Why are you living in a cave?” he asked. She giggled.

“Well, to answer your question, I don’t live here, silly! I live in that lamp!” she gestured to his lap, where he was somehow _still_ clutching the strange golden lamp. 

“You live...in the lamp?” he asked, blinking. She nodded.

“Yep! I’m the genie of the lamp!” she announced, as if that answered _anything_.

“...huh?” he asked. He raised a hand to his head to check for lumps or blood, but there was nothing. 

“Oh dear. Do you not know what a genie is, master?” she asked. He shook his head, and then his brain registered what she’d called him.

“Wait, ‘master’?” he asked. She nodded, grinning.

“That’s right!” she chirped. “You rubbed the lamp, so you’re my master now! And I must say, you are definitely younger and infinitely more handsome than my last few masters!” 

Yosuke blushed. This lady was both completely nuts and also unnervingly straight forward. Wow.

“Thanks…?” he answered, and she nodded.

“Good. Now, what’s your name, master? What should I call you?” she asked.

“Um, Yosuke?” he responded, still bewildered by the strange turn of events.

“Umyosuke. Fantastic! Well, since you don’t seem to know what a genie is, I guess I should tell you all about it, shouldn’t I?” she said. She jumped to her feet, and started bouncing a long to a beat that Yosuke _could suddenly hear_.

“Where is that music coming from?” he asked, looking around in alarm. The genie grinned. 

“You know, it feels reeeeeeeeeeeeally good to be out of that stuffy old lamp! What do you say, Master Umyosuke? Wanna dance?” she asked, as the music got steadily louder. He had no say in the matter when he was pulled to his feet. He swore he saw the pillow he’d been laying on disappear into a puff of purple smoke but, no, he didn’t really see that, right? And he was definitely just hallucinating the music, too! _He had to be_. The strange woman dragged him into the center of the cave, directly into the beam of silver moonlight. Then, she snapped her fingers and the moonlight turned _purple_, and there were suddenly flashing purple lights all over the cave, illuminating every rock, every corner. 

The strange woman started swaying her hips back and forth to the beat of the music, and all Yosuke could do was stand there, dumbly. She grinned at him.

“Come on, Master Umyosuke! Dance with me too!” she said. He held his hands up, laughing nervously.

“Um, I, I don’t really dance,” he protested. She shook her head and flicked her wrists out, and it seemed like the silks on her wrists extended a little, wrapping around his own arms. She moved her hands back and forth and Yosuke found himself dragged into a dancing motion as well. She laughed again. 

“That’s more like it!” she clapped her hands and, as a consequence, he clapped with her. He shook his head and tried to pry his hands out of the silks, but they held firm. 

“Okay, if this is a bad dream, I’d like to wake up now!” he announced. The woman grinned.

“Master, I don’t think you quite realize what you’ve got here. So why don’t you just ruminate while I illuminate the possibilities?”

And then she was suddenly standing on a stage, and Yosuke was standing in the audience. The purple moonlight was shining perfectly on her.

> Well, Ali Baba had the forty thieves

> Scheherazade had a thousand tales

She started to move around the stage, a blur of purple as she kept singing, loud and clear. 

> But, master, you're in luck because up your sleeves

> You got a kind of magic that never fails!

> You got some power in your corner now

> Heavy ammunition in your camp

> You got some punch, pizazz and how, you ask?

> All you gotta do is rub that lamp

> And then I'll say…

With a puff of purple smoke, she was standing right beside him again, holding some kind of black, cylindrical device in her hands, which she held up toward his face.

> Master Umyosuke, sir,

> What will your pleasure be?

Another puff of smoke, and Yosuke found himself sitting at a small wooden table, the woman standing next to him, holding a book and quill.

> Let me take your order, jot it down,

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend like me!

> Life is your restaurant and I’m the maitre d! 

> C’mon now, whisper whatever it is you want.

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend like me!

Another poof of smoke, and Yosuke was now sitting in an impossibly comfortable purple chair, feet propped up on a small, purple stool. He felt hands on his shoulders giving him a massage, and looked up to see the strange woman behind him, grinning down at him as she kept singing.

> You know, we pride ourselves on service.

> You’re the boss, the king, the shah!

> Say what you wish, it’s yours! True dish

> How about a little more baklava?

A tray appeared in her hands, with stacks of some kind of strange orange pastry stacked on it. Yosuke hesitantly picked up one and took a bite, while the woman kept singing.

> Have some of column A, 

> Try all of column B

The tray of pastries and, to Yosuke’s disappointment, the pastry in his hands vanished, and was replaced by another tray with so many varieties of delectable looking fruits on them that Yosuke’s head was spinning. He picked up a small peach and hastily shoved it into his mouth, before that tray, too, vanished.

> I’m in the mood to help you, dude,

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend like me.

And then, the woman was back on the stage, and Yosuke was back in the audience. But this time, there were other people standing around him in the audience, all facing the stage, clapping and cheering and waving around glowing sticks of some kind. On closer inspection, they all looked exactly like the strange woman, only entirely in shades of purple. He was a little bit unnerved, but his attention quickly went back to the stage. The strange woman was standing on the left side of the stage, seeming to address the audience of adoring fans that were all just her.

“Can your friends do this?” she asked, launching effortlessly into a backward somersault. Yosuke was quite impressed, actually. Three more versions of the woman, one in pink, one in purple, and one a shade perfectly between them, stood at the front of the stage. They all held up signs made of parchment with numbers on them. Eight, nine, eight, the signs read. The strange woman giggled.

“Can your friends do _that_?” she asked, and with another puff of smoke she was standing on the other side of the stage, juggling several balls of what appeared to be actual, literal purple fire. Three more signs were held up, Nine, eight, nine this time. The woman suddenly flung all of the balls of fire into the hair, and they turned into what looked like some kind of gigantic black basket of some kind. The basket fell onto her.

“Can your friends pull _this_,” the woman’s voice came from within the basket, and suddenly she burst out of the top, holding what appeared to be a fluffy, purple rabbit version of herself by the ears. The crowd went wild around Yosuke as she continued to sing, “Out of their little hats?” The basket— or hat, Yosuke supposed— vanished along with the rabbit, and the woman floated back down to the stage. The signs were raised again. Nine, nine, nine, they read. The woman winked as she touched down on the stage.

> I’m the genie of the lamp,

> I can sing and dance if you give me the chance!

Yosuke was suddenly back in the plush purple chair again, and the woman was in front of him, no longer on the stage, the slightly unnerving purple crowd was nowhere to be found.

> So don’t just sit there slack-jaw, buggy-eyed,

> I’m here to answer all your midday prayers!

> You’ve got me bona-fide certified,

> You’ve got a genie who won’t charge a fair!

> I’ve got a powerful urge to help you out,

> So what you wish I really wanna know!

During the course of her singing, she’d danced all around him, fast enough to make him dizzy. Now she was standing right beside him, and the lamp was somehow in his hands. She took his other hand and held it up to the side of the lamp.

> You’ve got a list that’s three miles long, no doubt

> But all you’ve gotta do is rub like so!

She moved his hand in an exaggerated rubbing motion, and purple smoke poured out of the lamp again. Just like before, only much faster, the smoke condensed into the form of the gigantic, lavender-skinned version of the woman. Having seen all of the crazy things he’d seen even since she’d started singing, he was now a little more willing to believe that he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. Or, he was having a crazy, crazy dream. Either was plausible. The version of her vanished from beside him, and the gigantic version took up singing.

> Mister Umyosuke, sir,

> Have a wish, or two, or three.

> I’m on the job, you big heartthrob!

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend, never had a friend

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend, never had a friend

Now the chair was gone, the stage was gone, the giant version of the woman was gone, and they were standing in the middle of the cave again, right in the circle of still purple moonlight. The woman gestured in time with the music, and Yosuke watched in wonder as different sections of the cave lit up with glowing letters, or at least he assumed they were letters, that were unlike anything he’d never seen. 

> You have never,

> Had a,

She held the next few notes for a long time, and now there were fireworks going off inside the cave, bright flashes of purple and silver.

> Friend

> Like

> Meeeeeeeeee!

The music coming from nowhere built to a crescendo, the words all over the cave flickered and flashed, the fireworks dazzled, and now there were rows of people dancing, those same purple versions of the genie that had appeared in the crowd. 

> ‘Cuz you’ve never had a friend like me!

With a wink, all of the spectacle was completely gone, and now it was just Yosuke and the strange, strange woman standing in the center of the cave, the moonlight was back to normal, and she had one mostly bare arm slung around his shoulder. Her other hand stretched upward and shaking back and forth, as if to say ‘ta da!’ 

“Um…” Yosuke started, and the genie woman let go of him, turning to face him with a huge, satisfied grin.

“Oh, thank you so much, master! That was so much fun!” she exclaimed.

“Um, yeah. Well, two things,” Yosuke stated, still trying to get his dumbfounded brain to work properly. She nodded her head vigorously, so he continued. “Well, first thing. My name isn’t ‘Umyosuke’, it’s actually… Yosuke. Just Yosuke.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry about that! Master Yosuke it is!” she squealed. 

“J-Just Yosuke, please none of that ‘master’ stuff, okay? It feels weird,” he complained. 

“Wow, you’re the first master I’ve ever had that’s ever wanted to go by just your first name!” she gushed. 

“Wh-really?” he asked. She nodded again. “Well, that’s just rude. What is your name, anyway? You didn’t say it in the song, did you?” 

“Well,” she said, looking disappointed. “Didn’t you see it on the stage behind me?” He shook his head. She reached up and seemed to grab something, dragging her hand down and making a piece of white parchment appear out of thin air. Yosuke watched, baffled, as images appeared on the parchment, which he quickly realized was the exact song and dance routine he’d just seen..._with him included_. And the images were moving, somehow. The image paused on a view of the stage from behind the audience. There was, indeed, something on the stage behind her. Some lights that had been blinking on and off in some pattern, Yosuke recalled. 

“Look, right there! It says my name in lights! R-I-S-E-T-T-E! Risette, or Rise for short!” she pointed, excitedly. 

“Um, I don’t know how to tell you this, but I don’t know how to read,” Yosuke admitted. Rise’s jaw dropped, and the parchment seemed to roll up before vanishing. 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry, Master, that was so thoughtless of me! Where I come from, almost everyone is literate, so I didn’t even think…” she trailed off. 

“And that brings me to the second thing,” Yosuke barreled on. “I don’t know where you’re from, but I had no idea what you were talking about for most of that...whatever that was!” 

“Seriously?” Rise asked. Yosuke nodded. “So, when I said “Alibaba had the forty thieves”...”

“No idea what you meant,” Yosuke said, nodding. Her eyes went wide.

“What about the baklava? Did you like the baklava?” she asked.

“That orange pastry? I only got one bite, but it was good, I guess…” he trailed off. She looked like she was about to cry.

“I practiced that whole song and dance routine for years! Years! _Ten thousand years_!” she wailed. “Ten thousand years of practice, and the whole thing went straight over your head!” Now she was _actually_ crying and, magical being or no, she was a _crying woman_, and it was _Yosuke’s fault_.

“H-hey, um, don’t do that! Look, I may not have understood most of it, but it looked really cool!” he exclaimed. She nodded, still crying.

“Uh huh?” she hiccuped. 

“Yeah! That part where you were on stage was really cool, you know!” he continued. The crying stopped, but she was still sniffling.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Yeah! And I may not have gotten any of the references, but I think I got the gist of it. I get three wishes, right? All I have to do is rub the lamp and make a wish?” he asked. Rise nodded, and with a sudden poof of smoke she was standing right back next to him, eyes completely dry of tears, that cheerful look back on her face.

“That’s right!” she exclaimed. “Oh, but there are some rules for the wishes. I may have phenomenal cosmic powers, but there are a few things even _I _can’t do. Listen up!” she exclaimed. A poof of smoke and she was standing on his other side, holding what appeared to be a long, long sheet of parchment. She cleared her throat.

“Okay, rule number one. No wishing for more wishes. That’s cheating! You get three, and only three. No more, no less. Three is the number thou shalt wish, and the number of the wishing shall be three. Four shall thou not wish, neither shall thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once three, being the third number, is reached, you will be out of wishes,” Rise said. 

“...what?” Yosuke asked. 

“Never mind. The point is, you can’t wish for more wishes. Rule number two, I can't kill anybody. Just don’t ask,” Yosuke nodded, and Rise continued. “Rule number three, I can’t make anybody fall in love with anybody else. Aaand rule number four, I can’t bring anybody back from the dead. It’s not a pretty picture, and it’s impossible anyway.” The parchment disappeared, and Rise sat down on a chair that suddenly appeared out of thin air. “So other than that, you got it.” 

Yosuke looked around the suddenly dark cave, down at the strange, beautiful woman that had seemingly come out of the lamp that he was still holding onto, and looked up at the mouth of the cave, which seemed like it was miles away now. His first thought was to wish for a way out, but then he’d only have two wishes left…

And then, a thought occurred to him. He wondered just how smart this genie was. He carefully stuffed the lamp into one of his pouches, folding his arms.

“Rules? You mean limitations on wishes? What kind of wishes have _limitations_?” he asked. Rise looked up from where she’d been examining her sparkly purple nails, lifting an eyebrow at him. He scoffed. “Can’t even bring people back from the dead? Wow what kind of genie are you?”

“Excuse me?” Rise asked, rising to her feet. 

“You heard me. I’ll bet you can’t even get me out of this cave, can you? I’d be better off trying to find a way out myself, right?” he taunted.

“Master,” she said, her voice tight. “I’ve been trapped in that lamp for _ten thousand years._” She stomped toward him, getting bigger and more purple with each step, until she was towering over him. “Did you rub my lamp? Did you bring me here? And now you’re saying you don’t believe me?! What, were the stage show and the fireworks not _enough_ for you? I worked on that routine for _ten_,” she was almost as big as the cave now, “_thousand_,” some rocks dislodged as her voice suddenly rose to fill the entire cave, _“YEARS_.” Yosuke opened his mouth to speak, but she was suddenly back to her normal size, glaring up at him from her shorter stature.

“You’re getting your wishes, _master_, so _SIT DOWN_,” she thundered. Yosuke obeyed, surprised to find himself sitting on what seemed to be a woven purple carpet. A purple carpet that was floating several inches _off of the ground_. Rise hopped onto the carpet in front of him, glowering down at him as he sat there looking up at her, praying that he hadn’t incurred her wrath. “Keep your arms and legs inside the carpet,” she growled at him, and all of a sudden the carpet was rising even further off the ground. He scrambled to grab the edges of the carpet, finding it to be extremely soft. The carpet rose quickly, shooting out of the mouth of the cave and up into the chilly night sky. 

“Aaand we’re out!” Rise cheered, sitting down at the front of the carpet. Unlike both the carpet and Yosuke himself, Rise seemed totally unaffected by both the wind and the chill. “Ohh, I’ll bet you’re cold, right? Here,” she said, and pointed a finger at him. Purple lightning seemed to shoot out of it, forming a translucent, shimmery bubble around the carpet. The wind was still passing through, but now it felt like a slightly cool breeze on a hot summer’s day instead of the chill of an Inaba night. Yosuke nodded, gratefully, and finally took the opportunity to lean over the edge of the carpet and look down. They were up high enough that he could barely see the twinkling nights of Port Tatsumi. The ocean reflected the silver moonlight, and the mountains rose up high in the distance, with the shadowy woods stretching on for miles between them. Inaba was somewhere up in those mountains. Inaba, and…

Her.

“I think I know what I want for my first wish, Rise,” Yosuke said. She was laying down with her arms behind her head and her legs crossed at the knees, suspended on nothing. She opened one closed eye at him and cocked an eyebrow.

“_First_ wish?” she asked. “Honey, I hate to tell you this, but you are down by one.”

“I don’t know about that. I never actually wished for us to get out of the cave. You did that on your own,” Yosuke pointed out. Rise sat bolt upright and stared at him.

“No way! Wait, I…” her mouth dropped open as she replayed the last few moments in her head. Yosuke grinned and reached over, putting a hand on her chin and pushing her mouth closed. 

“Sorry,” Yosuke said, with a wink. She pouted at him. 

“Well, that was a dirty trick!” she complained. “But all right, I guess I’ll give you that one freebie. But no more! From now on, I’m not doing _anything_ for you unless you rub that lamp and say you wish for it, understood?”

“Understood,” he said. He sat down cross legged and faced her, holding out a hand. “I promise, no more trickery. You have my word.”

“...okay,” she said, reaching out and shaking his hand. 

“So, about that first wish?”


	10. Chapter 10

After flying around for a while, Rise spotted a big clearing in the woods a few miles away from Inaba, and they touched down there.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Yosuke asked, hopping down from the carpet. The carpet then floated over to Rise and seemed to fold in on itself, forming something like a bench, which Rise sat down on. She patted the space next to her, and Yosuke hesitantly walked over and sat down. 

“What do you mean by that?” she asked. Yosuke looked around, nervously.

“Well, there are monsters in the woods around here that come out at night. One of them chased me into that cave,” Yosuke explained, shuddering at the memory of those golden eyes. Rise nodded and then clapped her hands. A ring of silver light radiated out from her hands, expanding until it hit the tree line of the clearing, where it stopped, shimmering faintly.

“There we go. Nobody and no thing can pass over that silver ring I just made,” she said. Yosuke nodded, deciding to trust her. Between the sound and light show in the cave and the ride on the magic carpet, he fully believed, now, that she could do just about anything. 

“So, about that wish?” she asked, turning towards him and pulling her legs underneath herself, criss-crossed. Yosuke did the same. 

“Well, I—” he started, but she held up a finger to his mouth.

“Before you say anything, Master, I’ve gotta warn you! You see, you’ve gotta be _really _careful with your wording! If you aren’t specific, genies can twist your words and do terrible things, you know? Now, you’re so cute and innocent, so I’m going to be nice to you,” she explained.

“Cute? _Innocent_?” Yosuke asked. Rise giggled. 

“Okay, so, let’s say you want to wish for a sandwich,” Rise started.

“But I don’t?” Yosuke asked. “That’s a really stupid wish.”

“Okay, but for a second let’s _pretend_ you do! I’m trying to teach you a lesson, Master!” Rise reprimanded.

“Okay. And, can you stop calling me that? Yosuke is fine,” Yosuke replied. 

“All right,” Rise replied. “Okay, _Yosuke_, let’s say you want to wish for a sandwich. Now, if you asked me, ‘Amazing and beautiful genie of the lamp Risette, can you make me a sandwich,’ what do you think would happen?” 

“You’d make a sandwich for me?” Yosuke asked. 

“Wrong!” Rise exclaimed. “I’d turn you into a sandwich! It’s all about the phrasing, Yosuke.”

“What?” Yosuke asked. Then he thought about it for a second. “...oh.”

“Right! Right! You got it! Okay, so what would you need to say in order for me to _not_ turn you into a sandwich?” she asked.

“Can you make a sandwich for me?” he guessed.

“Bingo! You understand!” she cheered. “So, let’s talk wishes, okay? I’ll help you with phrasing. It’s best to go ahead and get them all out of the way right away… I mean, not that I _want _to go back in the lamp or anything…”

“Why is that?” he asked, curious. He looked down at the pouch that the lamp was stored in. 

“Well, it’s just so cramped in there! And sooooo boring! I like being out here,” she sighed, wistfully. 

“Could I maybe wish for you to have a bigger lamp?” Yosuke mused. Rise turned to him, looking shocked.

“I...well, I guess you _could_, but, well, _any _size lamp is going to be cramped and boring, to be honest,” she replied, slowly. Yosuke reached down and took out the lamp, peeking inside it. 

“How do you fit, anyway?” he asked. 

“I can be any size or shape that I need to be,” Rise informed him. 

“Wow,” Yosuke marveled.

“That’s magic for you,” Rise replied. “I’ve got all the powers in the world, but unless my master lets me use them I can’t do _anything_.”

“Why is _that_?” Yosuke asked. She sighed. 

“Because I’m a genie. The very magic I wield binds me to that lamp and restricts what I can do,” she lamented. 

“That sucks. Can’t you just use your magic to break the lamp or something?” he asked. She laughed.

“I think I’d die if I tried to do that,” she said. 

“Well, what if I wished you free?” Yosuke asked. Rise went very still, eyes wide.

“I… well, I’d never thought of that,” she admitted. “Honestly, I’ve never met a single master that would use one of their three wishes for that. You only get three, after all.” 

“Well, I will,” Yosuke said, adamantly. He dropped the lamp into his lap and reached over, taking Rise’s hands. “I promise, I’ll use my third wish to set you free.”

Rise just stared at him with her wide, purple eyes. Then, inexplicably, she started to cry.

“Huh? Wait, what did I do?” Yosuke asked, visibly panicking. Rise uncrossed her legs and lunged forwards, throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his shoulder. “Please stop crying…”

“I can’t help it,” she wailed into his shoulder. “I just, I’ve never had such a kind master…” He awkwardly reached a hand up and patted her back with it. 

It was a few minutes before she pulled away.

“S-sorry. I just, I… wow,” she said, wiping at her eyes, still trembling. “Would you seriously do that for me?” 

“Well, I mean, I don’t know what I want to use my other wishes for, to be honest,” Yosuke replied. “After the first wish, I’m at a loss, so why not?” 

“Well, okay then!” Rise cheered. She waved a hand at her face and the tears instantly dried. “Let’s get right to it! Tell me all about this first wish. Oh, but first, you should put away the lamp, just to be safe.”

“Why?” he asked, even as he was putting it back into the pouch. 

“Remember what I said about the sandwich? We’ve gotta get the wording right. I’ll help. So, lay it on me,” she instructed. Yosuke nodded, clearing his throat.

“Okay, so, there’s this girl—” he started. Rise held her hands up in an ‘X’ motion.

“Bzzt! Wrong! I can’t make anybody fall in love with anyone else, remember?” she pointed out.

“Oh, well, that’s not… I mean, I don’t need you to do that,” he said. She looked intrigued.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“Let me explain,” Yosuke said. He sat up straighter on the carpet, clearing his throat. “Okay, so there’s this girl back in Inaba. I really, really like her and, well, I don’t know for sure but I think she likes me back? I hope so, anyway. But that’s not what the wish is about. Here’s the thing. She’s the princess, and by law she’s gotta marry a prince. And she’s gotta get married soon, like within the week.” 

“Right,” Rise said, nodding. “I think I get it.”

“So for my first wish, I want to be a prince, so I can marry her!” Yosuke said. Rise nodded again, a grin slowly forming on her lips.

“That’s great! So, let’s work on the wording. See, if you were to say ‘all powerful and effervescent genie of the lamp, please make me a prince,’ what do you think would happen?” she asked.

“You’d turn me into a prince?” Yosuke asked, confused.

“Wrong!” she cheered. She snapped her fingers, and all of a sudden there was a brown-haired man standing in the clearing beside them. He looked clearly startled, looking around in a daze. He _did_ look like a prince, though, wearing fine silk robes and not one but two swords on his belt. 

“Uh, where am I?” he asked, continuing to look around. “Jun?” He finally saw them and blinked, rubbing his eyes as if he wasn’t able to believe what he was seeing.

“Um, Rise, who is that?” Yosuke asked.

“I made you a prince! Well, actually, I just summoned one from one of the nearby towns, because I’m not putting that much work into a joke.”

“Who are...” the brown-haired man asked, very confused. “How are you floating—”

“It’s all a bad dream, Tatsuya Suoh,” Rise told him. Then she snapped her fingers again and he vanished. 

“Okay…” Yosuke said, slowly. “Okay, so. I guess it should be something like ‘can you make me _into_ a prince?” 

“There you go! But consider this, Yosuke. I can just snap my fingers and you’ll have the clothing and the title of a prince, but that’s not enough. You’re not thinking big enough! What do you think will happen if you just try to waltz up to the castle in Inaba alone, even if you look like a prince?”

“So, in the wording of the wish I should ask you to do everything you can to really sell the idea that I’m a prince?” he asked. She nodded.

“Maybe something like ‘great all-powerful and totally hot genie of the lamp Risette, completely transform me into a prince and use as much magic as possible to really convince everyone in Inaba that I am actually a prince, and to help me win over the princess’,” she suggested. “Or something like that.”

“Okay,” he took a deep breath. “Rise, could you—”

“Ah, ah, ah,” she interrupted, wagging a finger at him. “You have to rub the lamp, too, remember? And you _have_ to say it’s a wish. I’m not letting you trick me again!”

“R-right,” Yosuke stuttered, blushing. “Um, I really wasn’t trying to trick you this time, honest.”

“I know,” she said, with a wink. “You were just excited to become a prince. It’s really kind of cute.” 

He fumbled the lamp out of the pouch, taking another deep breath.

“You know, if things don’t work out with the princess, I could also wish for you to be my wife, couldn’t I?” Yosuke asked. Rise laughed.

“Please, I’m waaay out of your league,” she replied. He felt himself deflate a little.

“Ouch,” he replied. Then he shook his head and held up the lamp, starting to rub it.

“Okay. Genie Rise, I wish for you to transform me into a prince, and to do everything in your power to help me win over Princess Yui, and convince everyone in town that I am actually a prince.” 

As soon as he stopped talking, what looked like purple sparks shot out of the lamp and into the golden bands Rise wore around her wrists and ankles. She laughed, joyously, starting to shimmer with what could only be magic. 

“Your wish is my command!” she cheered. She clapped, and all of a sudden the two of them were standing on the opposite side of the clearing. Yosuke shook his head to clear it of a sudden case of extreme vertigo.

“Uh, could you please warn me before you’re about to do that?” he asked, dizzy.

“You’ll get used to it,” she said, offhandedly, as she reached forward into thin air and grasped something with both hands. It turned to be some kind of wooden cabinet, which she threw open the doors of. Said doors opened much, much farther than they should have been able to, and before Yosuke’s bewildered eyes, racks and racks of clothing appeared. She turned back to him, holding some kind of flat, yellow rope with notches on it, which she looped around his shoulders. 

“Okay, so I’m thinking you’d look great in all white. It’ll really help you stand out!” she said.

“Huh?” he asked, as she moved the rope to be around his waist. It looked like she was measuring something. 

“Yeah, yeah, white’s good, and it’ll look even more impressive if you can manage to keep it clean. Well, with a little genie magic that’ll be a cinch.” She stepped back, rope in hand. He noticed that she’d put her hair up into a bun on the top of her head and was wearing a pair of glasses and an apron over her usual outfit. She draped the yellow rope around her neck. She clapped, and Yosuke was suddenly looking at himself in a mirror that she was holding up. He was wearing some kind of all white outfit, though Yosuke had never seen anything like it. There was a ridiculously oversized white hat on his head, complete with some kind of blue feather, a white tunic on his chest, a pair of incredibly puffy white pants, and a white cloak on his back. He was also wearing bizarre shoes, with the tips curled up.

“Um, Rise, this is—” he started to protest.

“Perfect is what it is! You look just like a prince in this getup, Yosuke!” she praised.

“I do?” he asked.

“Yeah! The perfect picture of an Arabian prince. You’ll have this Princess Yui swooning in no time!” she exclaimed.

“I’m...not Arabian, though?” Yosuke pointed out, timidly. 

Rise deflated instantly.

“Oh...right. Yeah, right, of course,” she muttered. She waved her hand, and the outfit seemed to just kind of float away from him, leaving him in his normal, tattered brown hakama. “I guess I never stopped to ask...where are we, anyway?” Yosuke opened his mouth to answer, but she shook her head. “Never mind, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, what do you—” Yosuke started, but Rise just kind of hopped into the air and rocketed into the sky, a trail of purple smoke behind her. “...mean,” he finished lamely. He looked around, at a loss for what he was supposed to do. He reached for one of the other outfits that was hanging from the long, long doors of the cabinet, but the entire thing vanished into smoke the instant he touched it. He stuck his hands into his pockets and looked around, rocking on the balls of his feet. The carpet was still there, hovering a couple of feet off of the ground. He timidly approached it, and was relieved to find that it didn’t also evaporate the instant he tried to sit down. 

Yosuke didn’t go out much at night, for obvious reasons, so he didn’t really get the chance to look at the stars. He craned his head back and just took in the view, and for a few minutes it was calm and peaceful in this tranquil night. Somewhere on the horizon there was a flash of purple, and then what looked like a purple comet started speeding through the sky. He didn’t realize it was Rise until the comet started shooting straight at the clearing, impacting the ground in a cloud of purple smoke that resolved back into the image of the young genie woman.

“Okay, so I just learned the entire history of the land. Did you know that in the future some people call this place ‘Japan’?” she asked.

“What?” Yosuke asked. There were too many words in that sentence that made absolutely no sense to him. Rise laughed.

“Never mind. So, anyway, now I am an expert in your culture’s fashion! Prepare to be dazzled!” she announced. She clapped her hands and once again Yosuke found himself on the other side of the clearing, facing the open cabinet. Now, though, there were racks of hakama and kimono stretching out, in so many colors and styles that it made his head spin. 

“Please, I’m begging you, just a warning,” he asked, feeling his stomach churning.

“So, I still think you’d look good in white, but _apparently_ people might think you’re a ghost, so we won’t go there,” Rise said, totally ignoring him. She reached out for an elegant dark blue kimono, holding it up between the two of them and giving it an appraising eye. “And I can’t make it _too_ colorful, because that’s women’s fashion. Ugh. How limiting!” 

“Yeah, please not too much color, okay?” Yosuke pleaded. She tossed the kimono aside, and it evaporated before it hit the ground. 

“Well, really, the important thing isn’t to be flashy or colorful in your culture, now is it? You want to display how much money you have in subtle ways,” Rise continued. She pulled a black hakama off of one of the racks. “It’s gotta be made of the finest materials, no rips or dust or anything on it, with accents that really scream ‘I have too much money.’ Something like…” she tossed the hakama away, and started pushing garments around on the rack. 

“Something like…” she continued, hunting through the racks. “Aha!” she exclaimed, triumphant, and turned around to present a hakama that was dark blue with bright orange trim on the sleeves, with pants that were a deep, dark black. Shining silver embroidery weaved its way from the top and down to the pants. “It’ll make you look _so_ masculine, and the embroidery just screams ‘Look at how much money I have’. It’s perfect!”

“Yeah,” Yosuke replied, with a nod. He was glad she’d at least picked something he was used to wearing. He’d never gotten the hang of wearing a kimono, not that he’d had an occasion to try one in over six years. Rise snapped, and suddenly Yosuke was wearing the expensive hakama. The three pouches he’d been wearing on his waist were suddenly made of the same material as the pants, too. Yosuke blinked, looking down at himself. Even his tabi socks and sandals now looked like they cost more than some of the merchants in town probably made in a _year_. 

And the _lining_. Yosuke pulled the outer fabric away, finding two more layers underneath it, a bright orange layer on top, with a layer of the softest white fabric Yosuke had ever felt directly against his skin. 

“Whoa,” he breathed, continuing to look down at himself, twisting this way and that and lifting his legs. He looked up to find Rise looking at him, one hand on her chin in thought. 

“Hmm. Not quite enough,” she said. She snapped her fingers, and a dark violet haori appeared on him. “No, that clashes…” she snapped again, and it changed to dark blue. “Okay, okay, we’re getting somewhere…” Another snap, and Yosuke felt a weight at his side. He pulled the haori away to find two sheathed swords on his belt, the handles and sheaths ornately decorated. 

“A frog?” Yosuke asked, bewildered, when he unsheathed the sword. The silver handle was, indeed, carved to look like a frog was perched on the end. The blade itself looked wickedly sharp, gleaming in the moonlight. 

“It seems to fit you,” Rise replied, with a shrug. The other sword was the same. 

“Well, I think you’ve got the look down. Now we just need to figure out where you’re from!” Rise said, her voice chipper. She waved a hand and the entire cabinet and all of the other garments just evaporated again. 

“I’m from Inaba?” Yosuke pointed out, confused. She shook her head.

“No, no, I mean the fake city that you’re the fake prince of!” she explained.

“Oh,” he replied.

“Got any ideas? I only really need a name,” she said.

“Hanamura,” Yosuke replied.

“Hanamura?” she asked, grinning. “Oh, I like it. ‘Flower path’, right? Oh, I became fluent in your language while I was away, too.”

“Wait, what were you speaking before? How could you understand me?” Yosuke asked, bewildered.

“Genie magic,” she said, waving a hand as if that explained anything. “All right, we’ve got your look, we’ve got your city. We’ve got a few hours before sunrise, so it’s time for some lessons on how to act like a prince.”

“Can’t you just make it so that I already know how to do that?” Yosuke whined. 

“I can’t change what’s inside you, just what’s outside. If you want to act like a prince, you’ve gotta _act like a prince_,” Rise replied. Yosuke sighed.

“Okay,” he said. His stomach grumbled. “Um, by any chance, could these lessons include some food and water?” Rise smiled.

“Have you ever tried curry, Yosuke?” Rise asked. Yosuke shook his head. 


	11. Chapter 11

“I just don’t know what I can do,” Yukiko lamented. Chie put a hand on her shoulder, because she, too, was totally at a loss. There were so few things that rattled Yukiko, but just about anything that truly upset Princess Yui seemed to do it, and Princess Yui was evidently very, very upset today. Well, Chie was upset, too, and against all probability it seemed to be for the same reason. It was for the same reason that a truly surprising number of the castle staff, city guards, merchants and townsfolk were upset.

Yosuke was missing. 

At first, Chie had thought nothing of it. Yes, sneaking into the castle was a serious offense, but as soon as he’d been caught, Yosuke had emptied all of his pockets and let them search him, and he really hadn’t stolen anything. He’d admitted to them that he had just tried it for the thrill of it, which seemed close enough to the truth that only Chie had seen through the lie. They’d thrown him in a cell in the dungeon for good measure, intending to release him the next morning like the usually did. That had been by far not the first night he’d spent in their dungeon, after all. They’d even given him a blanket, and Chie had gone so far as to sneak some extra breakfast for him, as she had many times in the past, only to find the cell empty when she stopped by. 

It hadn’t been the first time he’d escaped, either. The locks on the cells were infuriatingly easy for him to pick, and he was good enough at sneaking around that the guard on duty never usually noticed him. Even if they did, all of the Inaba guards had somewhat of a soft spot for Yosuke, it seemed. Even Akihiko, though he was surely loathe to admit it. 

So it hadn’t been until a concerned Princess Yui followed by a sobbing, distressed Teddie had approached her that Chie had even started to think something was amiss. That was when it had all come to light: Princess Yui had, for the past couple of days, been disguising herself as a commoner and sneaking out of the castle. She’d met Yosuke and Teddie and formed a very quick friendship with the two of them. Chie had been a little sour at Yui for doing something like that — how were the guards supposed to protect her if they didn’t know where she was?! It had paled in comparison to how angry Akihiko had been, but even he had abided by her request to not tell Lord Dojima or anyone else. 

Yukiko had told them about Yosuke’s late night visit, and naturally neither her nor Yui had had any reason to suspect that Yosuke hadn’t simply escaped the castle and gone home. Yui had made a promise to meet Yosuke and Teddie the following morning for writing lessons, of all things, and it hadn’t been until she’d arrived at Yosuke’s house that either her or Teddie had realized something had happened. They’d rushed back to the castle, only to find Chie with a bad feeling about the suddenly empty cell in the dungeon. 

They had been able to find the guard that had been on duty easily enough, but the boy had refused to say much other than someone had arrived in the pre-dawn hours of the morning and taken Yosuke forcibly out of the cell. When pressed, the poor guard had refused to disclose the identity of the person, fearing retribution. Chie sympathized, at least, even if she was furious with him for it. Ever since his sister had died, Naoki had gone from a somewhat carefree boy to a nervous mess. It probably didn’t help much that he had somewhat of a grudge against Yosuke, just like his parents did, but he assured them that his grudge had nothing to do with it. 

“You should have seen the Princess earlier, Chie. She didn’t say anything at all to her latest suitor. I almost feel bad for the poor man, you know? He came all the way from the Iori clan, only for Yui to not even say a word to him!” Yukiko continued. “Oh, but he would have been a poor match for the princess, anyway. Not bad looking, but kind of a bumbling oaf, you know? Certainly a terrible lord for Inaba.”

“How’s Yui doing?” Chie asked, with a frown. She wasn’t as close to the princess as Yukiko was, obviously, but Chie at least liked to think that they were friends. Yukiko shook her head.

“I haven’t seen Yui this upset since… well, the incident six years ago,” the dark-haired girl replied. Chie’s frown got deeper.

“Damn,” Chie swore. “I wish we could’ve gotten more info out of Naoki, but I guess I don’t blame him for not talking.” She sighed. “I should have pulled rank on him and made him switch with me last night so I could watch over Yosuke, but it was already so late…”

“It’s not your fault, Chie,” Yukiko said. Chie shook her head.

“Yeah, I know. The idiot bumped into _me_, anyway,” she sighed. “Still…”

There was a long, awkward pause. Chie reached out for her cup of tea, only to notice that there were ripples forming in the surface of the water. On closer inspection, the same thing was happening in Yukiko’s cup, and the tea pot. Then Chie felt the first minor tremor.

“Is it an earthquake?” she asked, standing up. It was around that time that Kanji suddenly burst into the room, startling both girls.

“Chie, we need you on the main street right away,” he gasped.

“What is it?” she asked, alarmed.

“You’ve gotta see it to believe it,” he answered. He turned to Yukiko. “And you might wanna get the princess ready, Miss Yukiko.”

“Another suitor?” Yukiko asked, frowning. “But we’ve already had one today…” Chie turned to her and waved apologetically before following close behind Kanji as he left the room. As they navigated the hallways of the castle with practiced ease, Chie kept noticing the tremors getting steadily bigger and more noticeable.

“What’s causing this shaking?” Chie asked. “It’s not an earthquake, is it?”

“That’s the part you’ve gotta see to believe,” Kanji replied. They made it to the outer wall of the castle in no time, noticing a stream of guards heading for the front gate as well. As they approached, Chie started to hear music — a rhythmic drumming sound, the sounds of horagai, the chiming of bells, shakuhachi, shamisen… And there was the sound of something _huge_ impacting the earth in time with the tremors Chie was feeling. Now that she thought about it, it seemed almost like the heavy footfalls of some enormous beast. 

“Are we under attack?” she asked, panicked. While Chie was known for her deadly kicks, she _did_ know how to use a katana or a spear, and she hadn’t thought to pick one up on her way.

“Not quite,” Kanji assured her, as they squeezed their way through the main gate aside several other guards. Once they were out on the street they fanned out, Kanji leading her down the street and toward where one of the main roads into town spread out into the distance. As soon as they rounded the corner of one of the huge buildings that blocked the view of the road from the ground level, Chie’s jaw dropped. 

There was what could only be described as a parade approaching from the western side of town. Rows and rows of soldiers marched in perfect time with each other, armor clinking and clashing and glittering under the autumn sunlight. Women in beautiful kimono twirled amongst them, playing a dizzying array of musical instruments. Monks marched behind them, and the distinctive sounds of horagai shells were undoubtedly coming from them. A line of soldiers on horseback rode behind the monks. The horses seemed to be pulling a wooden carriage of some kind, and they were still too far away for Chie to make out many of the details, but it looked like a woman wearing a bright purple kimono was standing on the carriage. And behind that was the source of the enormous footfalls. 

Chie had never seen an elephant. Nobody in town had ever seen an elephant, only heard about them in passing from travelers or seen crudely drawn pictures of them in books. Seeing one in person was all at once amazingly thrilling and extremely terrifying. The gigantic gray beast marched along behind the carriage, plodding at a steady pace. There was something up on its back, a brightly colored tent of some sort. 

Chie and Kanji both stopped and watched in awe, trying and failing to take in the whole scene. Brightly colored pieces of parchment started to drift downward in advance of their approach. They soon started to hear a rhythmic chanting accompanying the music, most likely coming from the rows of soldiers. 

As soon as the first of the marchers crossed over the threshold into the city proper, it seemed, they started to sing.

> Make way for Prince Kousuke!

> Say hey, it’s Prince Kousuke!

Oh, so that’s why Kanji had told Yukiko to get the princess ready. This was another suitor. Admittedly, this was the most grandiose and flashy suitor to date. Also, probably the richest. Definitely the richest. Chie was already impressed, though she folded her arms and frowned in protest of that thought. After all, just because someone was rich it wouldn’t make them a good suitor or a good lord. 

Chie was startled out of her ruminations by the clear, loud sound of a woman singing, almost sounding like it was amplified to cut through the air. 

> Well hey, here we’ve come from a land afar,

> Hey you, let us through! He’s a superstar!

> Come on, be the first on your block to meet his eye!

Chie almost immediately identified the singer as the woman in purple on top of the carriage, but it took her brain a few moments to actually register that fact, because she shouldn’t have been audible from that far away. 

> Make way, here he comes!

> Ring bells, bang the drums!

> Oh, you’re gonna love this guy!

With that, the woman turned around and threw her hands up toward the elephant, and the brightly colored fabric on top of the beast pulled back to reveal a man. From this distance, Chie couldn’t tell much about him at all, other than the fact that he had brown hair and was wearing dark colored clothing.

> Prince Kousuke, fabulous he,

> From Hanamura!

The procession, including the elephant, had reached the large crossroads area, where turning left would lead them toward the castle, turning right would lead them toward the Amagi Inn, and continuing straight would lead them across the Samegawa and into the market district. The parade stopped in the center of the crossroads, soldiers, monks and dancing women fanning out in a half-circle in front of the carriage and the elephant.

> Genuflect, show some respect!

> Down on one knee.

The woman and every single person in the parade, aside of course from the soldiers on horseback, all bowed in unison.

> Now, try your best to relax,

> And maybe save your wisecracks,

> And come and meet a spectacular coterie! 

The woman in purple jumped off of the front of the carriage, was tossed forward by the perfectly-timed hands of one of the soldiers on horseback, and landed expertly in the middle of the crowd. She continued to sing, her voice somehow amplified and echoing off of the nearby buildings. 

> Prince Kousuke, mighty is he, 

> From Hanamura.

> Strong as ten regular men, definitely!

Chie felt a tug on her arm, and realized that Kanji was trying to get her to follow him. They got closer to the spectacle, pushing with ease through the crowd that was getting thicker and thicker the longer the performance went on for.

> He’s fought samurai and lords!

> A hundred bad guys with swords!

> Who sent those goons to their lords?

Every one of the standing soldiers and dancing ladies that wasn’t playing an instrument all joined the lady in purple in singing “my prince Kousuke!”

From behind the elephant, a steady stream of men wearing black hakama started to file out, each carrying what looked like pillows, on which were golden and white dogs. The male members of the entourage sang, “He’s got seventy-five shiba inu.”

From the other side of the elephant, women wearing green and black kimono started to file out, each with a green pheasant perched on one of their arms. The female voices in the parade sang out, “and green pheasants, he’s got fifty-three!” The two streams of marchers crossed and made a circle around the woman in purple, who continued to sing, along with everyone else in the crowd. 

> When it comes to exotic-type mammals,

> Well, he’s got a zoo, and I’m telling you

> It’s a world-class menagerie!

With that, all of the men in the parade, including those playing instruments, very suddenly ducked down to kneel on the ground, leaving the women dancing around them in a circle around the woman in purple, who started to walk toward the front of the parade.

> Prince Kousuke, handsome is he, 

> From Hanamura.

> That physique, how can I speak?

> Weak at the knees!

The woman in purple made an exaggerated swooning motion, perfectly in time with all of the kimono clan ladies, and fanned at her face as she continued to sing.

> Well, get on down to this street,

> It’s time for a meet and greet!

> You can talk and grovel and stare at Prince Kousuke!

Two of the soldiers stood up with the woman in purple on their shoulders, and now Chie could finally get a better look at her. Her brown hair was up in a pair of pigtails, and her eyes were a piercing purple color the likes of which Chie had never seen. Chie had also never seen a shade of purple quite as bright as the one the woman’s kimono was dyed, with pink flower petals adorning the entire thing in a wash that was sparser at the top of the garment and much more clustered at the bottom, suggestive of the way sakura petals fell in the spring. 

All at once, the entourage started to move again, all turning to the left in unison and starting to march toward the castle. The parade continued to sing, while the woman in purple waved to the onlookers lined up on each side of the street. 

> He’s got ninety-five cats in his castle

> And to pet them he charges no fee!

“He’s generous, so generous!” sang the group of kimono-clad women marching behind the soldiers. 

> He’s got ten thousand servants and flunkies,

> Proud to work for him, 

> bow to his whims, 

> love to serve him, 

> we’re just lousy with loyalty to Kousuke, 

> Prince Kousuke!

Chie and Kanji, along with a noticeable portion of the city guards, started to follow along as the parade finally reached the section of road they were at. They soon reached the gates, which were standing open, but they were stopped by guards. The two soldiers that had picked up the woman in purple kneeled and let her hop down off of their shoulders. She approached the guards, looking up at Akihiko, who had stepped directly into her path. Chie and Kanji approached at a jog, just in time to hear the conversation that passed between them, the woman’s voice no longer amplified.

“What is your business here?” Akihiko asked. 

“Why, weren’t you listening to the song, my good man?” the woman asked, blinking almost unnaturally long eyelashes at him. Chie noticed that while she wasn’t wearing traditional geisha makeup, she _was_ wearing makeup of some kind. Her eyelids and lips were purple, and the skin of her cheeks glittered in the light. 

“You should have sent a messenger ahead of you to announce your arrival,” replied Akihiko. The woman turned and gestured at the crowd behind her, the carriage, the elephant, and the long line of carts and yet more marching people that trailed behind the elephant, hidden to Chie’s sight before. 

“Do you not get the message from all of this?” she asked, turning back to Akihiko. The white-haired man’s frown deepened, and he let out an annoyed huff.

Chie didn’t understand what compelled her to do it, but she approached Akihiko.

“Why don’t we let them in?” she asked. Both Akihiko and the woman turned to look at her, Akihiko lifting an eyebrow and looking severe, while the woman looked pleased. “This clearly is a prince wanting to court Princess Yui, and things have been so glum in the castle today, I’m sure she could use a distraction!” 

Akihiko seemed to mull it over before letting out a defeated sigh.

“Fine. But these soldiers and monks need to stay out of the castle. We have several inns that may accommodate you lot. Um, well...” Akihiko started, leaning around the woman to look at the long, long line of parade-goers. “Maybe. You are welcome to pitch tents in the fields just outside the city otherwise.” The woman grinned.

“Well, all right,” she said. “But we’re not done with our performance! Will you let us inside the gates for that, at least? Or perhaps, could you bring the Princess out here?” 

“Princess Yui…” Akihiko trailed off. He looked at Chie, but Chie shrugged. He looked back at the castle and grimaced. “Fine. But once your performance has ended, please make sure that all of your soldiers leave.” 

“And what of the elephant? Do you have a stable suitable for her?” the woman asked. Akihiko looked from the elephant to the wooden gate they were standing just in front of, and back to the elephant.

“Will...will it even fit through the gate?” he asked.

“Sure!” the lady chirped. Akihiko frowned, but, finally, he stepped inside the gates and out of her way. Chie and Kanji hastily followed him in, along with the rest of the guards that were blocking the entrance. The woman turned back toward the crowd and cleared her throat with a grin.

“Here we go, everyone!” she said, her voice amplified again. Then, she turned back and marched through the gate, leading the revelers. The musicians started back up right where they’d left off.

> Prince Kousuke, amorous he

> From Hanamura

> Heard your princess was a sight lovely to see!

The soldiers and instrument-carrying women and monks all fanned out as soon as they passed through the threshold of the gates. The horses and carriage fit through the gate, naturally, and soon enough it was time for the elephant to try to make her pass. It looked, to Chie, like she wasn’t going to fit, but she blinked and all of a sudden the gate almost looked taller? Or maybe the elephant looked a little shorter? In either case, both the elephant and the man standing on top of it fit through the gate somehow, though the man looked like he might have stumbled just a little bit. The elephant marched into the center of the courtyard just inside the castle gates while the woman’s voice continued to sing.

> And that, my good people, is why

> He got dressed up and dropped by!

As the rest of the parade continued to file in, spreading out and all but filling the modestly large courtyard, they chimed in on the song in unison, singing along with the woman in purple.

> With sixty elephants, llamas galore

> He’s got bears and tigers, a whole band, and more!

> With his soldiers, his makers, his cooks and his bakers,

> And birds that warble on key!

The elephant finally stopped and seemed to crouch down, extending it’s long gray trunk to the ground. The prince walked to the edge of the elephant’s head and looked down, seeming to hesitate, before it seemed like some force pushed him from behind and he fell, sliding gracefully down the elephant’s trunk and landing on his feet with perfect balance, right beside the woman in purple. She grabbed one of his wrists and held both of their hands up toward the sky.

“Make way for Prince Kousuke!” she sang, loud and clear. There was a sudden whistling noise, and to Chie’s (and pretty much everyone else’s) surprise, fireworks started to shoot up and out of the tent-like structure on the elephant’s back, careening up into the air and exploding in a shower of sparks, glitter, and yet more of the colorful pieces of parchment. The music swelled to a dizzying cacophony, those in the parade that weren’t playing an instrument clapped and cheered. Then all at once the music stopped, the woman dragging both herself and the prince down into a bow, while the rest of their entourage all went down onto one knee. 

Chie couldn’t help it. Never at any of the festivals she’d ever been to had there ever been a performance as crazy and spectacular as this. She started to clap. Kanji joined her almost immediately, and soon enough the guards, castle staff, and everyone gathered around in the street outside of the gate started to clap, too. The purple haired woman came out of her bow along with the prince. She looked over and caught Chie’s eyes directly, winking at her and mouthing ‘thank you.’


	12. Chapter 12

“Don’t be so nervous,” Rise muttered to Yosuke. They, along with an assortment of the fake people that Rise had conjured to be in Yosuke’s entourage, were standing inside the large central hall of the Inaba castle. Yosuke had only ever been here in passing, and he’d certainly never been _allowed_ to be in here. Of course he’d known, logically, that he would end up in here, but he hadn’t really _thought_ about it. It was a lot to take in.

Also a lot to take in? Lord Ryoutaro Dojima, who Yosuke had only ever seen briefly in passing, was standing a few feet in front of him. Somehow, by some miracle, he actually looked welcoming! Respectful, even! Beside him was standing the black-haired man that had kidnapped Yosuke, and while that had given him quite a fright at first, it really did appear that whatever genie magic was happening was _happening_, because he didn’t recognize Yosuke at all. Neither did Chie, or Kanji, or, best of all, Captain Sanada. _Nobody_ seemed to recognize him. 

He’d raised the concern with Rise when they’d landed just outside of Inaba earlier that day, but she’d explained that her genie magic would make it so that nobody would think it was him. At best they might think he had a passing resemblance, but that was it. When he’d asked why he had to go by a different name, she’d further explained that people might start to suspect something if he did. Cognitive dissonance, and all that. Yosuke _thought_ he understood, at the very least. 

“I apologize, Prince Kousuke. It seems the Princess is taking a little longer than usual to get ready. You _did_ kind of drop in unannounced,” Lord Dojima was saying. Yosuke felt a little hysterical for a second, being not only addressed kindly but _apologized to_ by _Lord Dojima_.

“Our apologies, my good lord,” Rise replied, bowing. “We thought it would be a fine surprise to show up unannounced.”

“Well, it was certainly something,” Dojima replied, with a chuckle. 

“Did you see any of the performance, my liege?” she asked, and he nodded.

“I did. You’ve made quite an impression. On me, at least,” he replied.

“Announcing Princess Yui,” came a voice from a far corner of the room. Yosuke looked to find the dark-haired woman, the actual Yukiko, standing beside a door with her head bowed. 

And then Princess Yui stepped through the door.

Yosuke had known she was cute. He’d seen her with her short-cut hair and her cute smile and her gorgeous silver eyes before. He’d seen her with her hair long and dressed in an elegant kimono. He had thought he knew what to expect, but his expectations were thoroughly blown away. 

Princess Yui stepped through the doorway with her chin up, her face blank, her eyes passive. Shining silver hair flowed down her back, draping nearly down to her knees, adorned with strings of silver beads and alabaster combs and all kinds of expensive-looking jewelry. Her kimono looked like it was made of the finest silk, a silvery-gray color that was only a shade or two lighter than her hair. Stripes of pale colors wound through the garment from shoulders to floor, pinks and sky blues and lavender purples. Her obi was slate gray, the obi cord pale white and there were yet more gems and beads and even some shells hanging from it. Her feet weren’t visible, but thick sandals of a lacquered brown were just visible beneath the bottom hem of the kimono. 

She was gorgeous. Absolutely beautiful. If Yosuke hadn’t been totally smitten before he would be head over heels now. As it was he couldn’t look away from her, gaze trapped by the ethereal presence before him as she slowly made her way across the room to stand beside Lord Dojima. There was a long pause, where it was clear that one of the two of them was probably supposed to say _something_. Greet each other, at the very least. Lord Dojima eventually cleared his throat.

“Welcome to Inaba, Prince Kousuke,” he said. This didn’t do nearly enough to snap Yosuke out of the lovesick trance he was in. Yui nodded to him and he nodded as well, simply copying her action. He heard giggling, and finally looked away to find Rise smothering laughter behind one perfectly manicured hand.

“It seems my liege has been rendered speechless by your beauty, Princess Yui,” she said. Yosuke looked back to Yui, who said nothing, just stood with her hands folded delicately in front of her. He cleared his throat.

“Um, yes, my retainer is correct. I am simply awestruck by your beauty, my dear princess,” he said. Yui still said nothing. He heard a sigh, and then Lord Dojima gently elbowed her.

“Thank you, Prince Kousuke,” she finally said, although there was no emotion whatsoever behind it. Yosuke felt a pang in his heart. This Yui was so far removed from the laughing, happy woman that he’d met on the riverbank two mornings ago. Was this just how she was when she was in Princess mode? Or had something happened? 

“Forgive my niece,” Lord Dojima was saying. “She is a woman of few words.” He continued. “An… ideal wife,” he added, though it looked like it almost pained him to admit that. Yui looked upset at the words, for a moment, but only for a moment, her face returning to the blank expression she’d been wearing before. Yosuke recalled how she’d lamented about the Princess needing to marry a prince. How unhappy she’d sounded. He nodded.

“Well, I hope that the Princess will grace me with even one or two more of her words in the future,” he replied. He hoped he sounded charming and not stupid. Yui nodded slightly, and it felt like a victory, so Yosuke took it. 

“Well then, Lord Dojima, Princess Yui, we have brought you many gifts from our land of Hanamura. We hope you will be pleased with them!” Rise said. She clapped, and the summoned servants behind them sprang into action, bringing forward an assortment of things. Yosuke spotted a bolt of shining silver silk in one kimono-clad woman’s arms, a tray with an assortment of pots and cups carried by a monk, a man in plain black hakama carrying a basket of the ripest looking peaches Yosuke had ever seen…

“And just where is this Hanamura?” the black-haired man finally spoke up. Yosuke’s fake servants all stopped as everyone turned to look at him. 

“Adachi…” Lord Dojima grumbled.

“Oh, we are a small, humble but wealthy city far to the south, my good man,” Rise instantly answered. The black-haired man, Adachi, seemed to frown at this. “Small enough and new enough that you may not even find us on maps! In fact, if you would permit it, Lord Dojima, could we perhaps persuade your map-makers to add our little city to your royal maps?” 

Damn, Rise was _good_.

“Of course,” Lord Dojima replied. Adachi looked nonplussed, but seemed to stand down when the lord glared at him. “And we graciously accept your gifts,” Lord Dojima said. Several castle servants sprang into action, taking the various items from the fake Hanamura servants and spiriting them away to various corners of the room. Yosuke felt Rise elbow him, and when he looked down, she handed him an ornate silver comb embedded with turquoise gems of some kind. She nodded her head in the direction of the Princess.

“Oh! Oh, um, would the Princess permit me to personally present her with a gift?” Yosuke asked. He hoped he wasn’t stumbling around his words too much. Learning how to speak like a prince had been one of the hardest parts of Rise’s lessons. He looked up at Princess Yui and she seemed to hesitate, but then nodded. He carefully made his way across the space between them, trying to remember the walking lessons that Rise had given him as he went. (“Don’t slouch! Chin up! Don’t drag your feet! Walk like you own the place!”) 

She extended her hands, and he carefully placed the comb into them. Feeling bold, he gently took her hands in his for just a brief moment, looking into her eyes when she looked at him. She was taller than he remembered, likely due to the size of the sandals she was wearing. They were almost the same height.

“I meant what I said,” he said, voice quiet enough that he hoped only she could hear it. “I really do hope you will grace me with more of your words, Princess.” Then he let go and stepped back to where he’d been standing before. He looked over at Rise and she gave him a thumbs up with a big, wide grin. 

“Well, considering the arrival of this new prince in addition to the several other princes that have recently arrived… I suppose we should have a banquet, shouldn’t we?” Lord Dojima asked. Yosuke, who hadn’t been able to look away from Princess Yui for more than half a second since she appeared, saw her eyes go wide and saw her turn to look at her uncle in a panic. He noticed her look and chuckled. “Oh, come now, Yui. It should be fun, shouldn’t it? Nanako will enjoy it, at least, won’t she?” 

Something curious happened. At the mention of this Nanako person the Princess’s expression changed, looking soft and almost wistful for a second. She gave a barely audible sigh and nodded. 

“Very well,” she said, her voice low but still audible. 

“Good, good. Then, Prince Kousuke, allow my servants to escort you to your chambers here in the castle,” Lord Dojima said. He turned to face someone to Yosuke’s left, nodding at them. A short, blue-haired young man wearing a sensible muted dark blue hakama approached, extending his hand in a greeting towards Rise.

“I’m Naoto Shirogane,” the man said, shaking Rise’s hand. He turned and bowed respectfully to Yosuke, who nodded at him. “I’ll be assisting you today.” 

“Nice to meet you,” Rise replied. 

“Your servants will be housed across several of the inns in our city. This, uh, this is not normal protocol, but considering the size of your entourage and the number of extra patrons we have in the city due to the arrivals of other princes…” he trailed off. “Anyway. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.” 

“I can have our men make camp near the outskirts of the city,” Rise offered. “It would probably be best, considering I am a great deal doubtful there is a stable anywhere that can house our elephants.”

“Ah, yes,” Naoto replied. “Do forgive us, but a beast of that size…”

“It’s no trouble,” Rise replied, with a giggle. “We have custom-made stables back in Hanamura to house our pack of elephants. They’re imports from the west, you know.”

“Fascinating,” Naoto breathed, looking for a moment like a wide-eyed child. Then, he schooled his face back into something more professional and cleared his throat. “I would very much like to learn more about these beasts, but that will need to be another time. Allow me to show you to your chambers.” 

Yosuke looked around, noticing that Princess Yui had moved back toward the door she had entered from, but was now looking at him with something of a discerning gaze. He smiled and nodded at her, waving cheerfully. She blinked and nodded back, turning away and exiting the room. His mind returned to earth when Rise tugged on one of his sleeves, giggling at him when he turned to look at her. 

“Looks like someone is already smitten,” she accused through her laughter. Yosuke felt himself blush, but also laughed.

“Quite,” he answered. 

“Our Princess is quite beautiful,” Naoto said, with a nod. “Many princes have come to court her. I’m afraid, Prince Kousuke, that you have quite a lot of competition.”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to do my best to outdo all of them,” he replied. To his surprise, Naoto laughed.

“You may just have a chance with that kind of attitude,” he said. “Now then. There will be several hours before this banquet that Lord Dojima spoke of.” Naoto started moving in the direction of one of the doors, and Yosuke followed, Rise right beside him. “I’m afraid there is not much for entertainment here in the castle, unless you have a fondness for reading.”

Yosuke opened his mouth to say that he didn’t know how to read, but Rise elbowed him hard in the ribs. Oh, right.

“I’m not much for books,” he said instead. 

“A shame,” Naoto said, looking at him briefly over his shoulder. “We do have an extensive collection of books here. Princess Yui is an avid reader.”

“Really?” Yosuke asked. “Does she have a favorite subject?”

“Hmm,” Naoto said. “She loves tales of faraway lands. Fantasy and mysticism, and all of that.” 

“Oh!” Rise piped up. “We do have some novels with us. That would make an excellent gift, don’t you agree, my liege?” 

“Oh, certainly,” Yosuke replied, nodding emphatically. They passed through a doorway which led into a long hallway. 

“Well, if you aren’t much for reading, there is perhaps the Amagi Inn, or the teahouse…” Naoto mused. 

“Perhaps I’ll take a tour of your market district,” Yosuke mused. 

“That does sound pleasant,” Rise agreed. “Will you be accompanying us, Naoto?” 

“I have other duties to attend to, I’m afraid,” he replied. They approached an intersection and turned, starting down another hallway. “My apologies. Normally it isn’t this much of a walk to the guest accommodations, but with so many other princes here to court Princess Yui, well…”

“How many are there?” Yosuke asked, genuinely curious. Naoto thought for a moment, brows creasing. 

“Hmm. With you, I believe the total is now seven,” Naoto replied.

“Seven! Goodness!” Yosuke exclaimed. Naoto cracked a smile. 

“Though I can certainly see why!” Rise piped up. “Rumors of Princess Yui’s beauty spread even as far as Hanamura, after all.”

“Ah, here we are,” Naoto suddenly said. They stopped walking beside a finely constructed sliding door, which Naoto gestured to. “I hope you will find the accommodations to your liking. If you desire something different, we can certainly arrange something with the Amagi Inn.”

Yosuke slid open the door and felt his eyes widen. The room was huge, bigger than Yosuke’s entire house. There was another set of sliding doors on the opposite side of the room, which were open at the moment and showing off a lovely view of the castle’s ornate and well-kept garden. Everything from the tatami floors to the various artwork on the walls was immaculate and precise, arranged just perfectly. 

“What a lovely room!” Rise said. “This will do nicely, don’t you think so, Prince?” 

“Oh, yes,” he answered, still surveying the room in awe. He was floored that he was going to be allowed to stay there. The bed looked infinitely more comfortable than anything Yosuke had ever slept on, even before the tragedy six years ago. 

“I’m glad you find it to your liking,” Naoto said, bowing. Yosuke started to bow in response, but Rise grabbed him by the elbow and shook her head. “I’ll be taking my leave now, but if you have a need for anything, it should be easy enough to get a servant or guard to fetch me.”

“Thank you,” Rise said, and Naoto turned and marched away. Yosuke turned back to the room and took a cautious step inside. Rise entered after him and shut the door behind them, before throwing herself onto his back in a strange kind of hug, laughing.

“What—?” he started. 

“We did it, Yosuke! That parade was amazing, wasn’t it?” she sighed. “I love getting to use my magic like that, you know!” 

“Well, it sounds like there will be more opportunities for it,” Yosuke said, with a long sigh. “A banquet? I don’t know the first thing about what to do at a banquet…”

“We’ve got a few hours. I can fill you in,” Rise said, finally letting him go. She walked over to the comfortable looking futon laid out along one wall, flopping down onto it with a grin. At some point she’d changed back into her usual outfit, but Yosuke wasn’t sure when that had been. “And I guess we can go to the marketplace, if you want? Is there something you want to buy there?” 

“Well, I want to look for Teddie,” Yosuke said. “I know he won’t recognize me, but I just want to check on him, to make sure he’s doing okay. Maybe buy him some food or something?” 

“Teddie is your younger brother, right? The bear spirit?” Rise asked from her position on the futon. Yosuke nodded. “He may see through the magic, actually, if he is what you say he is.”

“Well, as long as he doesn’t tell anyone it should be fine, right?” Yosuke asked. Rise frowned.

“How sure are you that he _won’t_ tell anyone?” she asked. 

“He’s a thief and a womanizer, but he’s a good guy. And, uh, that’s mostly my fault anyway. Besides, if we bribe him with food and stuff I’m sure he won’t say a word.”

“If you’re sure…” Rise said.

“He’s indebted to me. Well, to my parents. It’s a long story, but he won’t do anything to harm me, including harming my reputation.” Yosuke explained. 

“Okay. I guess we can go try to find him. Oh, but can we go shopping first? I haven’t gone shopping in over ten thousand years, you know!”


	13. Chapter 13

Yosuke was in completely uncharted territory. Well, to be fair, he’d been in uncharted territory for a while now, but this was on quite another level. He’d heard about the lavish banquets that were held at the castle, but he’d never so much as seen one, let alone _been_ to one, only hearing about them from some of the ladies in town, or overhearing conversations between merchants lucky enough to be able to attend. 

Rise had never been to a banquet either, but she was beyond excited to attend. She’d been standing in front of the large mirror in their room in the castle, trying on various things she’d bought at the marketplace earlier and changing her outfits with a snap of her fingers. If she could change her outfits at a whim, he found himself thinking, why had she gone to the trouble of going shopping earlier?

Yosuke frowned. All he’d bought while they were in the marketplace had been food for Teddie. A whole sack of rice, several tins of tea, fresh fish, fruits, vegetables… Rise had sneakily magicked up a servant to carry all of the food he ended up buying, but then she had proceeded to overload the poor man’s carrying capacity with her own purchases. Decadent kimono, expensive jewelry, tabi and sandals, decorative combs, yards and yards of obi… Yosuke would have felt bad for the poor man if he’d been an actual servant or, for that matter, an actual human being. Once Yosuke had managed to pry Rise away from the shopping district, they’d made it to Yosuke’s house in no time. 

And there had been no sign of Teddie.

“Stupid bear,” Yosuke sighed, frown deepening. 

“Still worried about Teddie?” Rise asked, not even turning away from the mirror for a second, too engrossed in some elaborate makeup that she was magicking onto her face.

“Well, yeah,” Yosuke replied. He stood up from the chair he’d been sitting in and flopped onto the futon against the opposite wall. 

“You’ll wrinkle your hakama!” Rise protested, finally turning away from the mirror to scold him.

“You can just use magic to fix it,” Yosuke pointed out. He sighed. “And yeah, of course I’m worried about Teddie. He’s my little brother, you know? And it’s not like we can just ask around about him, or I’ll blow my cover.”

“I could use my magic to find him, but that would cost you a wish,” Rise offered. Yosuke shook his head, turning away from her. 

“After this stupid banquet is done, I’ll go look for him,” he said. 

“Hey, hey! It’s not stupid! It’s the perfect opportunity to get in the Princess’s good graces,” Rise pointed out. 

“Sure,” he replied, sounding disinterested.

“And, you know, there’s going to be a lot of free food! And dancing!” Rise added.

“I don’t dance, remember?” Yosuke said, rolling over to look at her. She was giving him a rather severe look. He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“And just how do you expect the princess to like you if you don’t dance, hmm?” she asked. 

“What does dancing have to do with it?” he replied.

“Everything!” Rise threw her hands up. “Dancing is how you show off your dexterity! Your sensuality! How rich you are, because while _peasants_ have to work for a living, you can afford to learn how to dance and read and paint!”

“...what?” he asked. She took a deep breath.

“Maybe we should use the rest of the time between now and the banquet on dancing lessons,” Rise said, and although it was phrased as a suggestion, her tone made it seem more like an inevitability. He sighed and stood up. 

“Okay, okay, I guess it can’t hurt. Better than moping around and worrying about Teddie,” he acquiesced. Rise grinned.

“That’s the spirit!” she clapped her hands and a black box of some kind materialized on the desk beside the mirror. Yosuke could suddenly hear music, and it took him a little longer than necessary to figure out that the music was coming from the box.

“What is that?” he asked, but Rise waved a hand at him.

“Don’t worry about it. It won’t be relevant for hundreds of years. Anyway, let’s get to those lessons!” she exclaimed.

* * *

Tohru Adachi hated banquets. Too many frivolous people were allowed into the castle, and instead of increasing security, the city guards seemed to regard the banquets as the perfect time to slack off, even mingle with the visitors. He hated the loud music and the raucous conversations and cheering. But, most of all, he hated that he was always put in charge of setting up the blasted things. He didn’t have any sort of knack for design, didn’t have a single bone in his body dedicated to color theory, didn’t care about the menu in the slightest. Inevitably someone else would go behind him and fix everything and then he would be credited anyway. While he did usually enjoy taking credit for the work of others, in this instance he loathed it. 

“What color scheme should we use the decorations in the courtyard?” a man was asking him. 

“Whatever you think looks best this time of year,” he replied, dismissively, knowing that the merchant would inevitably choose the most expensive decorations. He didn’t care, it wasn’t coming out of _his_ wages, after all. 

A woman holding a tray that was piled with an assortment of fruits approached him and opened her mouth. He knew she asked _something_, but all he heard was the cold voice echo in his mind.

“The lamp is in the castle,” the voice said, and he totally missed what the woman in front of him was asking him.

“Repeat that,” Adachi demanded, annoyed. The woman flushed.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, I just need to know where to put this?” she asked.

“Anywhere in the grand hall, I don’t care,” he spat, and she nodded, scurrying away so quickly that she nearly dropped the tray. Frustrated, Tohru scanned around the vicinity before he finally spotted who he was looking for, marching over to him. Naoto Shirogane was _technically_ his assistant, on paper at least, although the boy rarely ever worked with him or even spoke to him. 

“Shirogane,” he started, watching the boy turn away from the conversation he had been having with two of the city guards. His eyes were wide and his posture straightened immediately, apprehensive. Good. It helped brighten his mood just a bit, knowing that at least _someone_ in this blasted city feared and respected him.

“Yes?” Shirogane asked.

“I have some immediate business to take care of. You will take over my duties and direct the remaining set up of the banquet,” Tohru said. Somehow, Shirogane’s eyes widened even more.

“Me? But I-” Shirogane started to protest, but Tohru had already turned his back to him.

“Do it,” he spat. He heard a reluctant “Yes, sir!” from Shirogane as he crossed the entrance hallway, making a beeline for his private office. 

“The lamp is in the castle?” he asked, as soon as he had shut the door behind him. “_This_ castle?” 

“Yes,” the cold voice of the woman said. “Someone in the castle has it.”

“Who?!” he demanded.

“If I knew that, I would tell you,” the woman’s voice replied, sounding displeased. Tohru felt fear start to creep into his mind. 

“Y-yes,” he replied. “Of course. I apologize.” 

“Good,” the woman’s voice replied. “Find the lamp or the Wild Card, I do not care which. Our time is running thin.” 

“What?” he asked.

“Find the lamp,” she repeated, sounding agitated. “Or find the Wild Card.”

“Yes,” Tohru finally said. “Of course.”

* * *

“Announcing Prince Kousuke from the province of Hanamura!” a man’s voice bellowed, and two of the castle servants bowed, gesturing for Yosuke and Rise to enter the grand hallway. He looked around in awe until Rise elbowed him. 

“What was that for?” he hissed.

“You’re a prince, Yosuke,” she reminded him. “You’ve seen banquets like this dozens of times. Don’t look so awestruck.”

“Okay, but you’ve gotta admit the decorations are really cool,” he protested.

“True. You can look impressed, maybe, but not awestruck,” she conceded. 

The grand hallway really had transformed since Yosuke had been in it only a few hours ago, presenting gifts to Lord Dojima and Princess Yui. Silks of silver and pale colors hung from the ceiling, with probably hundreds of paper lanterns hanging among them. There were tables along the walls, piled high with fruits and desserts and sushi. A bunch of tables had attendants standing behind them, pouring tea and saké and wine for guests. 

There were two enormous statues in the center of the huge hall. They were both cranes, each facing away from each other with their backs together and heads curving away in opposite directions. They each had one wing lowered and one wing raised, creating a backdrop for three large, elaborately decorated chairs that were sitting just in front of the two statues. One was clearly for Lord Dojima, as it had the crest of the Dojima clan carved all over the golden surface. The chair beside it wasn’t quite as large, and could have only been for the princess. It was silver, and had the Narukami crest all over it. The third chair was quite a bit smaller than the other two, and strangely it had the crest of Dojima on it as well. 

Before he could wonder too much about that third chair, he heard his name — or, rather, his fake name — being called.

“Pssst! Hey! You _are_ the new guy, right? Kousuke from Hanamura?” the voice asked, and Yosuke looked to find he was being beckoned by a tall man with a shaved head wearing an expensive-looking hakama. Yosuke looked at Rise who just shrugged, and he looked back at the man.

“Yes, that is me,” he answered. The guy gave him a goofy grin and waved him over, so he went, Rise trailing behind him. The princess wasn’t anywhere in sight yet, so he might as well kill some time, right?

“I knew it was you. That was a flashy entrance you made today, pal,” the guy said. There was a shorter man with dark blue hair standing next to him. His hair was covering one of his eyes and he was wearing a plain black kimono with a similar black obi. 

“Uh, well—” Yosuke started, not really sure what to say to that, but the guy with the shaved head interrupted him.

“Sorry, where are my manners? I’m Prince Junpei from the Iori clan,” he said. He turned and gestured to the blue-haired guy standing to his left. “And this is my buddy Minato from the Arisato clan. We go waaaaay back. Childhood friends. Sibs from different cribs, you know?”

“Nice to meet you,” Yosuke said. “I’m Kousuke from the province of Hanamura.”

“And who’s the babe with you?” Junpei asked. He heard Rise giggle. 

“She is my most trusted servant, Rise,” Yosuke answered. “I’ve gone to quite a number of these banquets, of course, but I always get a little nervous each time, so I like to have her around to calm my nerves.” 

“Oh man, I feel you there bro. I wish I had someone as cute as her with me at these things!” Junpei replied. 

“Oh, you flatter me, Prince Junpei,” Rise replied. 

“Have any of the other princes arrived? I’ve heard there are quite a number of us vying for the princess’s hand in marriage,” Yosuke inquired.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else yet, just us three,” Junpei answered. Yosuke noticed Prince Minato perk up a little bit and look back towards the entrance to the hallway.

“Announcing Princess Minako of the Arisato clan,” the voice of the announcer bellowed, and Yosuke turned to look. Entering the hall were two women, one with brown hair and wearing a white kimono covered in a purple and green morning glory pattern. The other woman had hair as bright yellow as Teddie’s, and eyes just as piercing blue. Yosuke wondered momentarily if she was also some kind of spirit. She was wearing a blue kimono with white flowers embroidered on it, and some kind of band in her hair. 

“Oh, hey, your sister’s here, and she brought Aigis,” Junpei said, evidently to Minato. “Just what you need, right? Those two embarrassing you in front of Princess Yui.” Minato glared at Junpei with his one visible eye, but said nothing. “At least Yuka-tan isn’t here to embarrass _me_.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Minato finally said, and Yosuke was surprised to find that his voice was a bit deeper than he would have expected from the skinny man. It also sounded vaguely familiar. He didn’t get to dwell on that strange thought for long before he heard the announcer again.

“Announcing Lady Mitsuru of the Kirijo clan,” the announcer said. 

“Kirijo?” he muttered under his breath.

“Hmm?” Rise asked.

“Uh,” he said, motioning for her to turn with him, away from the two men and the now approaching women. “Your, uh, your _house_, I kinda got it from the Kirijo group.”

“Do you think they’re here to look for it?” she whisper-asked in response.

“I hope not,” he replied. A woman with dark red hair was in the doorway into the hall, followed closely behind by a woman with short, light brown hair. The woman with the dark red hair was absolutely this Lady Mitsuru. She just had this aura about her, the aura of a commander. Her kimono was mostly black, her obi red, and Yosuke could see that she was wearing a sword. The woman beside her had a kimono with an orange and white checkered pattern, and while it was not exactly cheap-looking, it paled in comparison to Lady Mitsuru’s. Yosuke watched, nervous, as the red-haired lady scanned the room, her vision passing straight over him and lighting on the group he was standing with. She smiled, although it looked less happy and more wicked. 

“Aww man,” Junpei groaned. “Me and my big mouth. What are _they_ even doing here? It’s not like one of _them_ can marry the princess!” 

“Mitsuru might be able to,” Minato said, and it took Yosuke a few seconds to come to the realization that he’d been joking. Well, maybe. His expression hadn’t changed much but he looked a little amused, at least. 

The red-haired lady who was most definitely the leader of the Kirijo clan started walking toward them, her companion trailing behind her. Yosuke started to panic a little, but managed to keep it at bay.

“Well, it’s been nice meeting you two, and I’m sure I’ll get the chance to meet your lovely companions later, but I’m gonna go, uh, get some tea,” Yosuke said, nodding at Junpei and Minato and making a beeline for the opposite side of the room, Rise behind him. He didn’t try his luck with looking back to see if the Kirijo woman was watching his retreat or not. Too risky.

“They looked like an interesting bunch,” Rise commented. Yosuke could still feel mid-level panic trying to turn into high-grade, but after a quick glance over at the group, he could tell that at the moment, at least, she wasn’t looking at him. 

“There’s no way they could track it back to me, I’m sure I wasn’t spotted,” Yosuke said, quietly.

“And even if you were, genie magic, remember? Relax,” Rise pointed out. Yosuke felt a significant amount of tension drain out of his body when she said that.

“Right,” he said, letting out a relieved sigh. “Okay. Any sign of the princess yet?” 

“Nope,” Rise replied.

“She’s taking way too long, am I right?” asked someone to Yosuke’s left. He turned to see a familiar looking red-haired man sitting down nearby, a bottle of saké in one hand and a carafe in the other. “Making all of us wait this long is rude, don’t you think?”

It took Yosuke a moment to place where he’d seen the man, and then it hit him. This was the rude prince whose horse had nearly trampled two children to death, and whose horse had headbutted him to the ground. And who had called him a street rat. Sho Minazuki. 

“Seems to me like you’re just impatient,” Yosuke replied, frowning at him. That got Minazuki to look at him, eyes flaring.

“What did you say?” he asked. Yosuke turned to face him entirely, hands on his hips.

“You’re impatient,” Yosuke replied, slowly. Minazuki glared, setting the bottle and carafe down on the ground none too gently before standing up. His hakama was an ugly green color that clashed horribly with his hair and, Yosuke noticed, he had a gnarly looking scar on his face. 

“You’re that guy from Hanamura, right, with that big, stupid-ass parade? Heh. Freakin’ showoff,” Minazuki growled. 

“Better a showoff than a loud, rude jerk with no fashion sense and no manners,” Yosuke taunted. He honestly knew he _should_ just walk away from this, but he had a grudge, damn it!

“Oh yeah?” Minazuki asked. He suddenly reached to his belt where he probably was used to carrying a sword, only to grab empty air. Yosuke watched him scowl, probably remembering that there had been a request for only Lords and Ladies to bring any sort of weapons to the banquet, as a show of status. “Tch,” Minazuki said. 

“Look, we don’t need to fight,” Yosuke said, although he was certainly thinking the opposite. “Just agree that I am better than you in every way, and we can both walk away from this unharmed.”

Minazuki lunged at him, but Yosuke was ready. He easily side-stepped the man, throwing out an arm and smacking him across the back as he passed. He hadn’t hurt the man, of course. If Sho was unlucky there might be a bruise, but hurting him hadn’t been the point. 

“You!” Minazuki growled as Yosuke turned to face him, ready to dodge another lunge or catch a punch. A hand clamped down on Minazuki’s shoulder, though, and Yosuke had never in his entire life ever been more happy to see Captain Sanada.

“Alright, you two, let’s settle down. What seems to be the problem?” Sanada asked. 

“H-he started it!” Minazuki stammered, pointing an accusatory finger at Yosuke. “I was merely defending myself!”

“Bullshit!” Yosuke replied, folding his arms. “You lunged at me!”

“Calm down, both of you,” Sanada replied. “Did anyone see the altercation?” 

“That rude man tried to assault my master, sir!” Rise piped up. 

“Yes?” Sanada asked. Minazuki glowered, fuming.

“I-I wanted to help, but it was so scary, sir! They were having a friendly discussion, and that man suddenly just flew at my master!” Rise said. Yosuke felt like she was laying it on a _little_ thick, but evidently Sanada bought her story hook, line and sinker. Well, it wasn’t exactly a story. She was _mostly_ telling the truth.

“He insulted me first!” Minazuki protested, starting to struggle against Sanada’s iron grip. 

“I most certainly did not,” Yosuke replied. “And you insulted Princess Yui before any of that.”

“Did you?” Sanada asked Minazuki, who frowned and started to try to pull away a little harder. Sanada seemed unaffected, his grip remaining on the red-haired man’s shoulder.

“And he’s been drinking!” Rise piped up. She picked up the bottle of saké, bringing it over to Sanada. Sanada took it from her, inspecting it. 

“I think,” he said, handing the bottle back to Rise, “that you’ve consumed quite a bit of saké tonight, and your judgement is impaired.” 

“It is not!” Minazuki protested. 

“You can sleep it off in your room or in a cell in the prison,” Sanada said. Minazuki finally tore himself away from Sanada, glaring at the man.

“How dare you,” he spat. “I am the sole heir of the Minazuki clan! You can’t just throw me out like this!” 

“You are not being thrown out,” Sanada said, diplomatically. “You are being asked to leave. With force, if necessary.” Minazuki made an annoyed sound, stomping one foot. Then he turned to Yosuke.

“I won’t forget this, you flashy bastard,” he seethed, before turning away and stomping toward the exit. Sanada flashed him an apologetic smile and trailed after the man, several other guards in tow, to make sure that he properly left.

“What was that all about?” Rise asked, after they had moved far enough away.

“I ran into that guy before I met you,” Yosuke explained, voice quiet. “Let’s just say he didn’t leave a great impression on me. He nearly trampled two kids with his stupid horse.” 

“Wow,” Rise said. “I wonder what his deal is? Well, that’s one less rival to deal with now, isn’t it?” she asked. 

“So _that’s_ why you were laying it on so thick?” he asked, and she giggled. 

Now that the proverbial dust had settled in the wake of Minazuki’s retreat, Yosuke looked around the room again. The group from before, with Iori and Arisato and the Kirijo lady, had all formed a circle and seemed to be having a lively conversation. There were other, similar groups scattered around the hall, though there were a number of people alone or in pairs, as well. 

“Why don’t we get some food?” Rise suggested, and Yosuke nodded, following her over to one of the banquet tables nearby, piled high with food. He got himself thoroughly acquainted with an immaculately arranged display of sushi and nigiri, eating until Rise stopped him.

“Don’t eat too much, Master, you don’t want to be bloated when you meet the princess,” she pointed out. He sighed but nodded, knowing she was right. 

“Yeah, yeah, all right. Hmm… But just one little daifuku for dessert won’t hurt, right?” he asked. He made his way over to a nearby table piled with desserts, reaching for one white bun, only for his hand to collide with someone else’s.

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry!” he heard a woman say, and turned to find a very short, very apologetic girl with bright blue hair bowing at him. “I wasn’t looking at where I was reaching, forgive me!”

“It’s all right,” he replied, and she nodded furiously before standing up. 

“Terribly sorry, I was just picking up some dessert for my master,” she said.

“You’re a servant?” he asked, surveying her blue-gray kimono, which looked a little too nice for a palace servant to be wearing. 

“Oh, no — well, yes,” she replied. She shook her head. “I am… Forgive my rudeness. I am Fuuka Yamagishi, head servant to Prince Ken of the Amada family.” 

“Pleased to meet you,” Yosuke replied, barely stopping from bowing when she bowed. “I’m Y— uh, Prince Kousuke from the province of Hanamura. This is my most trusted servant, Rise.” 

“Oh no, I didn’t realize you were a Prince!” Fuuka exclaimed, blushing furiously. “Aaah, forgive me, I’ve been quite rude to—” 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Yosuke assured her, stopping what looked like an incoming panic attack. “I don’t care that much about those kind of formalities. Honestly. I much prefer people to speak to me like they would speak to anyone else.” 

“Oh,” Fuuka said, looking bright. She smiled and, dang, it was pretty cute. “I think you would get along well with my young master, then. He’s like you in that regard.”

“Fuuka?” he heard from behind the girl, and they all turned to see a boy approaching. He had brown hair and was only a little bit shorter than Fuuka herself. He was wearing a plain black hakama, and a white shiba inu was trotting along beside him. The young prince couldn’t possibly have been older than ten. Yosuke felt an eyebrow lift. He would have thought he was at _least_ a teenager if he was attempting to court the Princess. 

“Oh, Ken— Prince Ken,” Fuuka corrected herself. “I am so sorry, I got distracted talking to this man. He’s a prince too, you know.” Ken stopped just beside Fuuka, looking up at Yosuke with a bit of a frown. 

“I said I don’t want to meet any of the other princes, Fuuka,” Ken said, glaring up at her. 

“Yes, yes, I am so sorry, young master,” Fuuka apologized. “But, you know, I really think you’d get along with—”

“Let’s just get the daifuku and go,” Ken said, with a sigh. The shiba inu, which had sat down at Ken’s feet, got up and started to sniff around Yosuke’s legs. “Koromaru, come on, don’t do that!”

Yosuke had no idea what to make of the whole situation. But, he was good with kids. As long as he didn’t get too overly familiar he could probably at least talk to Ken. He stooped down until he was just at Ken’s eye level, petting Koromaru’s head as he did. 

“Hello, Prince Ken. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, I’m Prince Yosuke of the province of Hanamura,” he introduced. He stuck out one hand, and Ken shook it, looking unsure and wary. Then something changed in his expression, as if he’d just remembered something.

“Oh! You had that big parade earlier today, didn’t you?” he asked. Yosuke nodded. Ken finally smiled, looking interested. “Can you tell me about that, uh, what’s it called… The elephant? The one you rode on?” 

“I believe my servant, Rise, can tell you more about the elephant than I can,” he said, with a laugh. He turned to look up at her and she crouched, too, with a cheerful smile. 

“Hello, Prince Ken,” she said. “What do you want to know about our elephants? We have a whole herd of them back home in Hanamura, you know.” 

Yosuke stood back up after giving Koromaru another pat, leaving Rise to explain the concept of elephants to a now enthralled-looking Ken. 

“Forgive me if I’m prying,” Yosuke said to Fuuka, who was in the process of scooping several daifuku onto a plate. “But Ken seems awfully young to be trying to court a Princess…”

“Oh, well,” Fuuka started, looking sad. “I don’t know if I should be the one to explain…”

“Right,” Yosuke replied.

“His parents are both dead,” said a quiet male voice. A man walked up to stand beside Fuuka, absolutely towering over her and everyone else in the area. He had shaggy brown hair and was wearing a dark red hakama top with black bottoms. The outfit looked a little worse for the wear, especially compared to nearly everyone else in attendance. 

“Oh, there you are Sh— Aragaki, sir,” Fuuka greeted. He nodded at her and turned to look at Yosuke. 

“You wanted to know what’s going on with Ken, huh?” Aragaki asked.

“I’m just curious, that’s all,” Yosuke said. He didn’t exactly feel fearful of the man, but definitely intimidated. “He seems quite young to be trying to marry a Princess.” 

“Oh, Shinjiro,” Ken said, turning to him. Rise stood up and took a step back. “Where’d you go?”

“I had to get some fresh air,” the man said. “This man was wondering what a young guy like you is doing trying to rush into marriage.” Yosuke couldn’t tell if the man was kidding or not, as his demeanor and stance were both very dour. Ken’s face fell.

“Well,” he started, looking up at Yosuke. “My… My parents both died recently in an accident. I don’t have any brothers or sisters or aunts or uncles, so I’m supposed to be in charge of the city of Amada now, but…”

“Hey, I get it,” Yosuke said, hoping he sounded reassuring. “That’s a lot of responsibility.” Ken nodded, then reached down to pet Koromaru, who had sat down on Ken’s feet. 

“My family has been serving as the retainers for the Amada clan for generations,” Fuuka explained. “And Mr. Aragaki here is the captain of the guard. We all thought it might be a good idea to look for alliances of some sort.”

“Amada is bound to be absorbed into one clan or another. We thought if we got out ahead of it and made some allies, we might be able to preserve our independence,” Aragaki explained. 

“Yeah, but…” Ken trailed off. “Well, I don’t think I have a chance here, do I? Not with other princes like you around.” He looked up at Yosuke, frowning.

“D-don’t get discouraged!” Fuuka exclaimed. Aragaki shook his head. 

“Well, to be honest I don’t know if the Princess is into younger guys,” Yosuke joked. Ken frowned harder in response. “But, you know, I’ll bet she’d at least form an alliance with you. Inaba is all about staying independent! Uh, from what I’ve heard.”

“You think?” Ken asked, eyes wide.

“Well, I don’t know the princess that well, but she seems like a very kind person. And Lord Dojima is a nice guy, too,” Yosuke replied. 

“What about an alliance with Hanamura?” Fuuka suggested. Yosuke looked at Rise, a little panicked. 

“Oh, well, Hanamura is dreadfully far away, you know, I doubt an alliance with us would do you any good,” Rise said. Ken nodded, looking somber.

“Announcing Prince Eikichi of the principality of Mishina,” the announcer’s voice rang out. Yosuke turned to see a man with the brightest blue hair he’d never witnessed walk through the doors into the hall. 

“I’ve got the daifuku you wanted, young master,” Fuuka said, holding up a plate absolutely stacked with the delicious-looking white pastries. 

“We should get going,” Ken said, looking and sounding relieved. He turned back to Yosuke and Rise. “It was nice to meet you.” Yosuke nodded.

“Let us know if you want to ride on the elephant,” Rise said, and for a moment Ken looked awestruck. He coughed and nodded his head, turning and walking away with Fuuka, Koromaru and Aragaki all in tow, looking like the most mis-matched group in history. 

“That sucks,” Yosuke said, reaching for a daifuku of his own. 

“Hmm?” Rise asked.

“I was around his age when my parents died, so I know how much it sucks,” Yosuke clarified.

“Ah,” Rise said, grabbing a daifuku of her own. She took a bite and looked at the rest of the bun, amazed. “Oh! This is really good! I understand why this country is well-known for its sweets in the future.” 

“You keep talking about the future,” Yosuke said around a bite of the pastry. He swallowed before continuing. “Can you see the future with your powers, or something?”

“No, I’ve just been there,” Rise answered. Yosuke squinted at her a little in pure confusion. “Never mind. Don’t worry about it.” 

“If you say so,” Yosuke replied, still baffled.

“Announcing Prince Naoya of the Toudou clan,” the announcer said, and this time it was a black-haired man in a dark gray kimono. He looked relatively ordinary for a prince, aside from the strange decision to have a silver earring in one ear. Huh.

“I think that’s all the princes,” Rise said. She counted them off on her hands. “So there’s you, there’s that Iori guy, Arisato, Minazuki, though we don’t have to worry about him… And there’s Ken, the Mishina guy with the bright blue hair, and now this guy. That’s all seven.”

“Will the Princess be arriving soon, then?” Yosuke wondered, looking around. 

“Announcing Lord Ryoutaro Dojima, Princess Yui Narukami, and Princess Nanako Dojima,” the announcer said, and Yosuke couldn’t possibly have looked at the entrance fast enough. He nearly gave himself whiplash.

Lord Dojima certainly looked regal, wearing a fine black hakama, shining gold armor, a gold crown, and two swords on his waist. He was holding the hand of a short girl with two brown pigtails who was wearing a very cute bright pink kimono with white flower petals embroidered on it. That was Nanako, undoubtedly. Yosuke was vaguely aware that there had been talk of Lord Dojima having a daughter, though she hadn’t ever been seen by anyone outside the palace in the six years since the incredible tragedy. 

Yui was walking beside them, and although he’d seen her in the same clothing earlier, he was still blown away by how ethereal she looked. Her hair was different, pulled up into an elaborate pile on her head and held in place with silver combs, probably so that she could dance without worrying about it getting in the way. Yosuke was beyond ecstatic to notice the comb he’d given her earlier was in her hair along with others. 

The crowd parted as the three made their way to the center of the hall where the crane statues were. They sat down in each of their respective seats, and Lord Dojima spoke.

“Thanks to you all for attending our banquet. Without further ado, let us commence with the festivities, shall we?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos in this chapter: Naoya Toudou (Persona 1), Eikichi Mishina (Persona 2)
> 
> Also I have decided to tag all of the Persona 3 characters because they (will eventually) have a role in the story beyond just being fanservice/cameos. Hopefully nobody gets too disappointed that they aren't main characters, though!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: As of November 11th (2019) this story has 20 chapters and a total word count of over 69,000 words _and I'm not even done with it yet._

“I told you before, I don’t dance,” Yosuke hissed under his breath at Rise, who was wearing a huge, shit-eating grin. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything,” he heard Rise say, though he didn’t see her mouth move. She waved at him, and if Yosuke wasn’t mistaken there was a faint purple mist around her hand as she did, and all of a sudden Yosuke’s feet started to move _on their own_. 

“I’d love to dance, Princess Minako,” his mouth said, without his permission.

“Oh! I was fully expecting you to say no, Prince Kousuke,” the brown-haired, red-eyed lady in front of him replied. She giggled behind a hand. “But, I won’t say no. It’s not often I get to actually dance with someone other than my brother or Junpei.”

Yosuke’s arm extended, and she took it with a grin, and Yosuke’s feet started moving on their own again. Well, Yosuke was reasonably sure it was Rise’s doing.

It wasn’t that Yosuke _couldn’t_ dance. He could, and he thought he was fairly good at it, too, but there was a big difference between dancing in the privacy of his home, or even among the other orphans and poor kids in town, and the kind of dancing they were doing at this banquet. For one thing, there were actual steps to follow, and putting a hand or foot out of place would not only look bad, but might be a dead giveaway that Yosuke wasn’t as princely as he was pretending to be. With Rise’s help it did look like he was a very accomplished dancer, though, which was a bit of a relief, even if it was very creepy and stressful to not have full control over his body. 

About halfway through the dance, around the time that Yosuke started to feel comfortable with Rise controlling his movements (or, at least, less freaked out), the princess leaned a little closer to him with a conspiratorial look on her face.

“So, Prince Kousuke,” she started, “I have to confess, I had an ulterior motive in asking you to dance.”

“Oh?” Yosuke asked. There was a brief flicker of worry that she maybe could see through his prince disguise, or had noticed him doing something un-princely, but she continued quickly enough that the worry didn’t evolve into full-blown fear.

“Of course I am here first and foremost to support my dear brother, though honestly I don’t think he has even the slightest chance of being the one that Princess Yui chooses to marry,” she explained. “But my ulterior motive is, well, do you see that tall, short-haired man next to my brother?”

“Prince Junpei?” Yosuke asked. “I met him earlier,” he said, when she nodded.

“Yes. So, Junpei doesn’t actually expect to be the one to marry Princess Yui,” she said. “It’s a long story, but he came here just so he could dance with the person he’s actually in love with, my handmaiden Chidori. She’s the one with the red hair standing next to him.” Yosuke managed to sneak a glance, and there was a dour-looking red-headed lady standing beside Junpei, who was talking to a stone-faced Minato. 

“Okay?” Yosuke asked. Minako nodded.

“Well, obviously you aren’t supposed to dance with handmaidens, right? Not if you’re a prince. But if we get enough people to agree to one round of dances with people of a lower social status, it’ll seem totally natural, right?” Minako continued. Yosuke nodded.

“Sure,” he answered. 

“Right. So, I actually had two ulterior motives,” Minako admitted with a laugh. “I don’t expect that you know him, but the truth is I go way back with the captain of the royal guard here, that white-haired gentleman. I want to dance with him,” she explained, nodding in the direction of where Captain Sanada was leaning against a wall, observing. 

“Captain Sanada?” he blurted out. How in the world did she know him?

“Yes. So, here’s what I’m asking. Will you agree to dance with someone below your station, Prince Kousuke? It could be anyone, a handmaiden, one of the guards, one of the servants…” she trailed off. “I’ve already gotten Mitsuru, er, Lady Kirijo to agree, and my brother as well. What do you say?” 

“Sure,” Yosuke said, nodding. “Sounds fun.”

Princess Minako’s plan wouldn’t come to fruition until some time later, during an intermission in the dancing. Princess Yui had done three dances in total by then and was taking a break. As the star of the banquet, of course, she was absolutely the busiest person there. Almost everyone had waited in anticipation of her announcement of who she would dance with first, as it was as good an indication as any if she favored any of the princes. She had defied all expectations and chosen to dance with her young cousin, Nanako, instead. After that she made it very clear that she would be dancing with each prince in the order that they arrived to Inaba… meaning that Yosuke would be dead last. 

Yosuke had managed to avoid dancing entirely until well into the set of dances, at which point he’d been approached by Princess Minako. He’d also avoided dancing with anyone else after her, much to Rise’s chagrin. Now that it was intermission, he and Rise were sitting at a large table, chatting idly with the two Arisato siblings and their group. He was seated exactly across from Lady Kirijo, who still continued to make him nervous despite all signs pointing to that she didn’t have any idea of where the lamp was, who took it, or even that Rise was, in fact, the inhabitant of said lamp. There was just something about her presence that was equal parts awe-inspiring and also terrifying. 

“All I’m saying is, it’s a shame that the princess has to marry any one at all,” remarked the brown-haired woman sitting next to Lady Kirijo. “Why can’t she just rule Inaba herself, like Mitsu— Lady Kirijo does for Port Tatsumi?” 

“You forget your place, Yukari,” Lady Mitsuru scolded, though Yosuke thought there was a touch of fondness in her voice. “Though you do make an excellent point.” 

“Marriage is the easiest way to establish alliances and trade agreements,” argued Minato, who was sitting beside Yukari. 

“Yeah, not everyone can just bully their way into alliances like you do, Mitsuru,” added Junpei, who was sitting between Minako and Rise, on the other side of the table. Mitsuru sent an icy glare at Junpei, who just laughed at her in response. 

“I do not ‘bully’—” Mitsuru began, but Junpei cut her off.

“You know I’m just teasing, right?” he interrupted.

“I do, but some of the people at this table do not,” she scolded him, gesturing toward Yosuke and Rise. Junpei didn’t look at all fazed, just grinning cheekily at her. 

“Hey, here’s an idea! Maybe you should just marry Princess Yui, Mitsuru!” Junpei suggested, earning him a flat stare from Mitsuru. “What? It’d make for a great alliance, after all!”

“I did not come to this banquet for that,” Mitsuru sighed in response. “I merely came to support my _friends_,” she continued, glaring pointedly at Junpei and gesturing to Minato.

“And because you thought Shinji and Aki might be here,” Princess Minako piped up. “And they _are_.” 

“Let’s not discuss that,” Mitsuru said, turning her pointed glare at Minako, who giggled. By “Aki”, Yosuke assumed they were talking about the captain of the guard here in the castle, Akihiko Sanada. He didn’t know much about the man, really, but he did know that unlike Chie and Kanji, Akihiko had definitely not grown up here in Inaba. He’d arrived a few years ago, joined the guard, and had very quickly been promoted through the ranks. Nobody knew much about him, not even the other guards, but the rumor was that he’d been forced to leave wherever he’d been living before, but obviously it hadn’t been because he’d committed a crime, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to become a guard. 

That was curious, but even more curious was the fact that all of these people knew each-other. They were all princes and princess or lords of different places, and while it was very possible that they got acquainted through banquets and the like, it seemed like they were much closer than that would allow for. 

“Forgive my ignorance,” Yosuke started, because he really was curious. “I’ve come quite a long way from Hanamura, so I am not familiar with the alliances of this area. How do you all know each-other?” Lady Kirijo exchanged looks with both twins before looking back to him.

“It is...quite a long story, but the long and short of it is that we met at banquets like these,” she answered. “Iori and Arisato both came to seek my hand in marriage, in fact, and I turned them down of course.” 

“And now you are friends?” Yosuke asked, gesturing between them.

“Well, as you very well must know yourself, Prince Kousuke, it is quite a rare thing to have peers that are both near your age and your station,” she replied. Yosuke nodded, and though he hadn’t been at “her station” for more than a few hours at this point, he did kind of get it. There were plenty of people in Inaba close to Yosuke’s age, but most of them wouldn’t, say, hold a conversation with Yosuke. Not because they didn’t like him or anything, but simply because he was a lowly street urchin, and they were above his station. The irony was that now they wouldn’t hold a conversation with ‘Prince Kousuke’ either because he was too far _above_ their station. 

“Me and Minato here,” Prince Junpei started, breaking Yosuke out of his train of thought, “We used to be rivals, y’know? We’re the same age, so we started showing up to court all the same princesses. Let’s just say this isn’t our first banquet together.” 

“I see,” Yosuke replied, nodding. 

“When I was coming into power in Port Tatsumi,” Lady Kirijo explained, “I knew I needed alliances. In some cases I turned to acquaintances I already had, and in other cases the alliances literally came to me.” 

“And in some cases you bullied your way into an alliance,” Junpei said, with a laugh. He only laughed harder at the withering glare she sent his way. 

“Oh, hey, Princess Yui is on the move. Which prince was next? It’s not you yet, is it, Junpei?” Minako asked. 

“Nah, I think next was the kid prince,” Junpei replied.

“Perfect,” she said, standing up and making a beeline for the princess.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Junpei called after her.

“She’s got a scheme,” Minato explained. “You know my sister, always doing insane things.”

“Scheme?” Junpei asked, sounding a little terrified. They all watched, fascinated, as Minato had a hushed conversation with Princess Yui, who gave her a nod and then cleared her throat. 

“If I could have your attention please, my esteemed guests!” Princess Yui called out, and almost instantly all conversation in the room stopped. “Princess Minako of the Arisato clan has just proposed an excellent idea to me. For the next dance, those of high station are encouraged to share a dance with those of a lower status. Participation is not mandatory, naturally, but for those that are willing, it should be a fun exercise, should it not?” The crowd began to murmur at that, some people sounding excited, some scandalized, some amused. 

“Hold on,” Junpei said, sounding floored. “Is this—?”

“Yup,” Minato said, putting a hand on his shoulder. His expression was still mostly blank, but he looked amused. “She wants to dance with Akihiko. Oh, and I guess she did it so you can have a dance with Chidori, too.” 

Junpei looked touched.

“I myself will be participating,” Yui continued, looking to a corner of the room and beckoning someone out of it. “Assistant advisor Shirogane, if you please?” A red-faced Naoto stepped out of the crowd, looking somewhat panicked. 

“Tha-thank you for the honor, my lady,” Naoto stammered as he joined her. Minako looked thrilled at the turn of events. 

“Now then, let us all find partners for the dance, if we are participating,” Yui announced. Yosuke saw Minako make a beeline for where Akihiko was standing. Junpei was already gleefully dragging Chidori onto the dance floor. Minato and Aigis were right behind them, and Minato looked _amused_, which was such a change from his normal expression that Yosuke couldn’t help staring for a moment.

“So, who are you dancing with?” Rise asked, elbowing Yosuke in the side. He looked over at her.

“You?” he asked, and she shook her head with a laugh.

“I need to make sure you don’t trip over yourself,” she pointed out. “What about that Fuuka girl? You seemed like you were getting along with her earlier.” Yosuke nodded, scanning the crowd for her. It wasn’t hard to spot her with her distinctive blue hair, but it was a little difficult making his way over to her, because there were suddenly people _everywhere_, all scrambling to find a dance partner. Yui had _said_ the dance wasn’t mandatory, but most of them were going along with it just to make a good impression on her.

When he finally made it over to where Fuuka was he was surprised to find Lady Kirijo there as well, talking to the tall, somewhat bedraggled looking Aragaki.

“I don’t dance, Mitsuru,” he was saying as Yosuke approached.

“You and I both know that’s a lie,” she countered, sounding almost like she was scolding him. 

“Oh, Prince Kousuke! What a pleasant surprise,” Yosuke heard, and turned to find Fuuka standing next to him. He wanted to ask what was going on with Lady Mitsuru and Aragaki, because he was _insanely_ curious, but thought the better of it.

“Ah, yes, I was wondering if you would like to dance, Miss Fuuka?” he asked. She blushed and looked startled.

“Oh! I am honored, really, but Ken… um, Prince Amada needs a dance partner, you see, and I think he is too intimidated to ask any of the other ladies…” Fuuka explained. “And, you know, it would be a bad look for him not to participate…” 

“I understand,” Yosuke replied.

“Well, if you truly don’t wish to dance, I won’t force you,” Lady Kirijo was saying, “But can we at least talk? I’m worried about you.”

“I’m doing fine,” Aragaki responded, sounding weary. Yosuke leaned toward Fuuka, conspiratorially.

“Hey, do you know anything about that?” he whispered to her. Fuuka nodded.

“A little. Shinj— Sorry. Mr. Aragaki used to live in Port Tatsumi. That’s Lady Kirijo, right? I believe the two of them are childhood friends. Mr. Aragaki doesn’t talk much about his past, I’m afraid, so that’s all I know,” Fuuka explained. 

“Thank you,” Yosuke replied. He noticed Ken approaching, looking wary and a little stressed out. “You should probably help Prince Amada, he’s looking a little lost.”

“Oh!” Fuuka exclaimed, nodding hurriedly at him and then rushing off in his direction. This left Yosuke without any idea of who to dance with. The crowd was starting to thin as people found dance partners. He looked around, finally spotting the brown-haired girl that had arrived with Lady Kirijo… Yukari, he thought her name was? He wasn’t entirely sure what her status actually was, or who she was to Lady Kirijo, but she was cute enough, at least. He approached. 

“Yukari, wasn’t it? Care to dance?” he asked. 

“What? Oh, sure!” she replied, looking surprised but pleased. 

“I’m not being rude, am I?” he asked. “You weren’t announced as a princess, so I assumed…” 

“You’re correct, I’m not a noble,” she replied, and Yosuke breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Mind if I ask what it is that you do for Lady Kirijo?” he asked as they made their way to the dance floor. 

“I’m her personal assistant,” Yukari explained. “Not that she really needs one. I’ve been finding myself traveling between Port Tatsumi and Arisato a lot recently, to help Prince Minato and Princess Minako.”

“You did seem quite friendly with them,” Yosuke commented. They stopped at the edge of the crowd of dancers, facing each-other and waiting for the music to start.

“Yes,” she said, eyeing him critically. “You’re awfully interested in the political affairs of Lady Kirijo, why is that?”

“To be honest, I just find it fascinating,” Yosuke answered. That was the honest truth. “And, well, if I end up marrying Princess Yui, I need to know the politics of the region, don’t I?” Yukari looked satisfied at that answer, and he nearly breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Honestly, I think you’ve got a pretty decent shot at the princess,” Yukari replied. “I mean, Minato and Stupei certainly didn’t arrive with a parade and elephants!”

“Stupei?” Yosuke asked, baffled, and Yukari actually looked mortified.

“Err, sorry, that’s… I have a bad habit of calling Junpei that,” she admitted, looking sheepish. “I know it’s a bad look for me, since he’s a prince and all, but… he’s just such a _dumbass_ sometimes!” Yosuke burst into laughter at that, and Yukari looked relieved.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me,” he said, with a wink. The music started up, and Yosuke felt what was starting to become the familiar feeling of magic, and then the intensely weird feeling of his body moving on its own. 

The musicians had chosen a simple dance, it turns out, likely to spare the lower status dancers any embarrassment at not knowing anything more complicated. After a few repetitions of Rise controlling his movements, Yosuke felt like he could do it without her help. And then he _was_ doing it without Rise’s magic. It was exhilarating, if he was honest. He and Yukari clicked in a weird way, their movements in sync and creating an airy, flowing feeling to the dance. 

“That was fun,” Yukari said, once the music had stopped and the dance was over. They were both slightly out of breath, as was everyone around them. “Thank you, Prince Kousuke.” 

“My pleasure,” Yosuke answered. They bowed to each-other and he held out an arm. “Can I escort you back to the table?” 

“Sure,” she said, with a giggle. Rise sat down next to him as he slid back into his chair.

“I don’t dance, huh?” she whispered. He sighed.

“Not in places like this,” he replied, his voice low. 

“You just did,” she pointed out. He rolled his eyes.

“Oh, be quiet,” he answered. She giggled. 

Prince Amada’s dance was next, and although they were far from the only dancers, there were noticeably fewer couples on the dance floor than there had been previously. It seemed like Minako’s idea had been quite a success. Yosuke found himself impressed both by how well Prince Amada danced for being so young, and also how graceful Princess Yui was dancing with someone quite a bit shorter than her. Then again, he mused, she probably had quite a bit of practice with that, thanks to her cousin. In fact, speaking of her cousin, Yosuke spotted Nanako nearby dancing with Lord Dojima, possibly in solidarity. Yosuke almost wanted to go ask Fuuka to dance, just to keep with the theme of short and tall people dancing, but thought it would probably be improper. 

“So, how is Shinji doing?” he heard Minako ask, and couldn’t help focusing on the conversation. Yukari had kind of been right to call him on his interest in the affairs of their group, but it was _interesting_. 

“Same old Shinjiro,” Lady Kirijo replied, with a sigh. “Stubborn as always. I had to all but drag him into the dance floor.” 

“He seems pretty committed to helping out the young prince,” Minato said. Lady Kirijo nodded.

“Yes. He rejected my offer to return and have a position among the guards at Port Tatsumi,” she said. “I am going to try to speak to Prince Amada and broker an alliance with them, however.” 

“Same old Mitsuru,” Junpei taunted, with a laugh. She pointedly ignored him.

“How is Akihiko doing?” she asked Minako.

“He seems like he likes it here,” Minako answered. “He says he’s grown pretty fond of the people of Inaba. Even the beggars and orphans! Get this, he told me that this notorious thief went missing recently and he’s actually _concerned_ about him!” 

Yosuke choked. He hadn’t been eating or drinking anything, but he still choked nonetheless. 

“Whoa, hey, are you okay?” asked Yukari, who was sitting to him. He nodded, and felt Rise reach over and start smacking him on his back as he struggled to breathe again. The whole table was looking at him now, and he flashed a sheepish grin. 

“Uh, sorry?” he apologized. 

“Anyway…” Minako said, mercifully dragging everyone’s attention away from Yosuke, to his intense relief. “My idea was a big success, wasn’t it?” 

“It was,” answered the blonde-haired lady, Aigis. “A high number of people participated, and appeared to be enjoying themselves.” 

“Thanks for doing that, by the way,” Junpei said, nodding at Minako, who nodded back with a sly grin. 

“I’m glad everybody had fun,” she replied. 

Junpei’s turn dancing with the princess was up next. Despite how clumsy he was and his general tendency to put his foot in his mouth, Junpei was actually a really competent dancer. He also seemed to be good at telling jokes, if how often Yui laughed was any indication. Yosuke was impressed, and, to be honest, a little jealous. After finishing the dance, Yui declared it to be time for another break and everyone went to mingle and get more food and drink. 

Her dance with Prince Minato was next, and then after that it would finally, _finally_ be Yosuke’s turn. He was starting to get nervous, actually. So much so that Rise dragged him over to a table in a less populated section of the room.

“What’s got you so nervous?” she asked, as soon as they were relatively certain they wouldn’t be overheard. Yosuke sighed.

“I just… what if I blow it during my dance with Princess Yui? I’m the last one, so she’ll probably be tired and—” Yosuke started.

“I’ll take care of the dance moves,” Rise interrupted. “So don’t worry. It’ll be fine!”

“But what if I say something dumb? Or say something that gives away who I really am?” he asked, whispering loudly. 

“Just think about things before you say them!” Rise answered, also whisper-shouting. 

“Can’t you just pilot my mouth too? Make me say charming things?” he asked. She shook her head.

“I could, but that’s not going to win her over. You have to win her over yourself, or it won’t mean anything!” Rise protested.

“But how do I even do that? I don’t know anything about being a prince or ruling a kingdom!” he protested.

“You said you won her over before, didn’t you?” Rise asked.

“I-I mean, I think so? But, I mean, that was just—” he started, but she held up a hand.

“Then just be yourself,” she replied. 

“I can’t do that!” Yosuke protested. “Myself is just a… just a street rat with nothing going for him.”

“But—” Rise started, but this time Yosuke held up a hand.

“Look, can you just… If I’m about to say something really dumb, could you make it so that I say something smart instead?” he asked. Rise sighed.

“I’ll do my best, but I’m gonna have my hands full with the dance, you know,” she said. Yosuke nodded. 

“Okay. Cool. Great.” 

Soon enough, _too_ soon in his opinion, Princess Yui and Prince Minato were bowing to each-other, and it was time for Yosuke’s dance with the princess. He took a deep breath, made sure his clothing was all straight and in place, and approached her with what he hoped was a charming smile. 

“Princess,” he greeted. She nodded.

“Prince Kousuke,” she replied, with a slight nod, which he found himself mirroring without meaning to. Rise’s magic. 

“I hope you aren’t overly tired,” he said. “This has been quite the night.”

“I could say the same,” she replied. “I hope you aren’t too tired for one last dance?” 

“For you, Princess? I could dance all night and never get tired,” he said. When Yui grinned in response, he barely stopped from congratulating himself on that stellar comeback. One of his arms extended and Yui reached up to clasp his hand, and then they were dancing. The dance was surprisingly complicated, and Yosuke felt himself completely enamored with how gracefully and fluidly Yui performed her part. She looked impressed by his ability as well, and Yosuke was absolutely grateful that not only did he have a genie helping him, but that she had agreed that helping him dance was technically part of his wish. 

Soon enough, _way_ too soon in his opinion, the music faded and the dance ended, and he was bowing to the princess. Her face was a little flushed and she was visibly breathing a little heavily, sweat making her bangs stick to her forehead. 

She looked _amazing_. Yosuke was practically dizzy with how smitten he was. 

“Good evening, Princess,” he said. “Thank you for the lovely dance.”

“Good evening, Prince Kousuke,” she replied. “That was very enjoyable. You are quite a skilled dancer.” 

“Thank you,” he repeated. He didn’t know what else to do, so he just simply watched her make her way over to where Lord Dojima and Princess Nanako were standing. 

“Wow. You really _are_ in love with her,” he heard from his right, and wasn’t surprised to find Rise standing there. He sighed.

“Yeah,” he replied, and was a little upset at how absolutely love-struck the word sounded coming out of his mouth. 

“I think you’ve got a pretty good shot with her, all things considered,” Rise continued.

“I hope so,” he said. 

“If I may have your attention,” the Princess called out, and once again the room fell silent. “I want to earnestly thank you all for attending. This has been a lovely evening, and I could not have asked for better company,” Yui said. “I will be retiring for the evening, but you may continue to dance and drink and be merry for as long as you please. Good evening, my esteemed guests.” And with that, Lord Dojima, with the two princesses in tow, left the banquet. 

“I’m sure she’s tired,” Yosuke observed. “After nine dances? I’d be tired too.” 

“You could have had nine dances,” Rise pointed out, frowning. “You just didn’t _want_ to.” 

“If you want to dance, nobody’s stopping you,” Yosuke pointed out. Rise practically _sparkled_ in response. 

“Ooh, was that permission just now? Can I stay here and dance?” she asked.

“Sure, go nuts. The princess isn’t here, so I don’t need your magic at the moment,” Yosuke replied. Rise _squealed_ and pulled him into a quick hug.

“You’re the best master I’ve ever had!” she exclaimed, before making a very telling beeline toward the corner where a certain short, blue-haired assistant adviser was standing, completely unaware of what was about to happen to him. 

Yosuke stopped by the table where Lady Kirijo and the Arisato twins and prince Junpei were sitting, bidding them a good night. He artfully dodged a request for an alliance with Lady Kirijo by the excuse that Hanamura was very, very far away, thanked them all for a lovely evening, and headed out. He did look around for Prince Amada and his entourage, but they were nowhere to be found. 

The castle was quiet as he made his way back to the provided room, and somehow the room itself was even quieter. After the constant noise of the banquet, he found the quiet stillness a little unnerving, so he made his way out into the garden instead of collapsing on the futon like he had been planning. The garden was quiet too, but there were the sounds of owls and buzzing insects forming a pleasant amount of background noise. He wandered over to a stone bench and sat, looking up at the night sky. A lot of the sky in Inaba was obscured by trees or blocked by the mountain, but here in the center of the castle there was an unobstructed view of the moon and stars. 

Yosuke found his eyelids drooping and decided not to fight against them, closing his eyes and letting the sounds of the night lull him to sleep, starting to doze off, but a sound caught his attention. It was faint, and coming from somewhere across the garden, but it was unmistakable. Someone was crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameo this chapter: Chidori (Persona 3)
> 
> Also I had Yosuke and Yukari dance together solely because they're both Garu users.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read to the end concerning Yu's gender! I don't want to spoil anything before hand. :)

Yu Narukami was exhausted. Mentally, physically, and every other way one could be, he was. He would have just flung himself onto his bed immediately if it weren’t for the fact that Yukiko needed him to be standing in order to properly take off his fake hair, and he really wanted to wash the makeup off of his face before he slept. Sleeping in makeup was so uncomfortable. 

“That was a lot of fun, wasn’t it, big bro?” Nanako asked, and he snapped his focus back away from where it had wandered. 

“It was,” he forced himself to say. Well, that technically wasn’t a lie. Despite how he felt about the whole situation, Yu _had_ managed to have fun. Dancing was quite a lot of fun, though he hated that he’d had to dance the woman’s part. The company hadn’t been terrible, either. He got along quite well with several of the princes, and he was currently trying hard not to think about how charming and handsome Prince Kousuke, in particular, had been. And familiar. _So_ familiar. He reminded Yu a lot of Yosuke, actually. Aaaaand now he was thinking about how worried he was that Yosuke had just up and vanished. 

“Did you have fun, Nanako?” he asked, desperate to distract himself from his wandering thoughts. It was a lot harder to control them when he was tired, and he was _so tired_. 

“Yeah!” she replied. “I had a lot of fun dancing with you and daddy and Ken!” 

“Oh?” Yu asked. “Should I be worried? Is Prince Amada going to steal you away from me?” Nanako giggled.

“No way! I don’t wanna marry anyone other than you, big bro!” she exclaimed. Yu laughed, and he heard Yukiko giggle softly behind him. She was still undoing the intricate braids that kept his hair extensions in. Honestly, he hated that he needed to wear them at all, but it was far preferable to actually having long hair. 

“I wish I could just marry you, Nanako,” Yu joked. “I’d send away all these princes and rule Inaba with you as my lovely queen.” 

“And then I could make the rules!” Nanako said, excitedly.

“What rules would you make, Nanako-chan?” Yukiko asked. Nanako was practically sparkling.

“The first rule would be no bed time!” she explained. “And, uh, the second rule would be I get to eat as many peaches as I want!” 

“Sounds good,” Yu replied. “And what about me?” 

“Big bro, you can have aaaalll the books you want, and you can read them all day! And you can wear whatever clothes you want to!” she continued. 

“Well, you’ll make an excellent queen,” Yu said, with a laugh. Nanako looked proud.

“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself,” came a voice from the doorway, and Yu didn’t have to look to know it was his uncle. 

“Daddy!” Nanako cheered and ran at him, practically launching himself into his arms. He laughed and shook his head. 

“You have way too much energy for how late it is. You do know it’s bed time soon, right?” he asked. She pouted.

“Aww,” she said. “But I was having fun with big bro…”

“Big bro and I need to talk,” he told her, looking over at Yu, who sighed but nodded. Yu had _really_ hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with this until tomorrow morning, but he’d known Dojima would want to talk as soon as possible. Yu was just glad he’d already changed into more comfortable clothes, his more masculine hakama in fact. 

“I’m nearly done with his hair, Lord Dojima,” Yukiko reported. Dojima nodded.

“Okay. I’m going to put Nanako to bed, and then I’ll be back,” he informed them. Nanako looked distraught at the news.

“But I wanted to stay up with big bro and talk about the banquet!” she protested.

“You can do that in the morning,” Dojima replied. “Now, say good night, okay?”

“Okay,” she sighed. She looked over at Yu. “Good night, big bro! Good night, Yukiko!”

“Good night, Nanako-chan,” Yukiko replied.

“Sweet dreams,” Yu said. Dojima turned and left, carrying Nanako with him. Yu sighed as soon as he was out of ear shot. “I hoped he’d save this conversation for the morning…”

“Do you think he’s going to make you choose a suitor tonight?” Yukiko asked, sounding concerned. Yu sighed.

“I hope not,” he replied. “Honestly, I don’t even want to. All the princes tonight were nice, but I just don’t want to get married.” 

“I know, Yu. I know. I think it’s a stupid law. We all do,” Yukiko replied. Yu sighed again.

“I should just… I should just do what Lady Kirijo did and rule by myself. Screw what the elders think, they’re all old and out of touch,” Yu ranted. He felt a tug on his hair. “Ow!”

“Sorry,” Yukiko said. “But you know, I don’t think what Lady Kirijo did will work. She caused a civil war, Yu. I don’t want to see that happen in Inaba.”

“I don’t either,” Yu admitted. “I may not get to go see them very often, but I love all the citizens of Inaba. I don’t want to see any of them have to fight each other or be killed just so I don’t have to marry some prince.”

Things were quiet for a moment, just the distant sounds of chirping crickets and hooting owls audible in the room. Then, Yu spoke up again. 

“And honestly, the idea of marrying a prince… of marrying a _man_ isn’t so bad,” he said, softly. “It’s just the fact that I’m… that my body is…” He trailed off.

“I can’t know what it’s like, to be in the wrong body,” Yukiko replied. “But I do _understand_, I think, and I hate it for you.”

“Do you think any of the princes would understand if I told them?” Yu asked, softly. “Would they even believe me? Would they hate me for it?” 

“I don’t know,” Yukiko replied, honestly. He felt another tug on his hair, this time less sharp, and then Yukiko stepped into his line of vision, the silver tresses of hair draped over one of her arms. “But I do know this, Yu. None of those princes are even _remotely_ good enough for you.” Yu couldn’t help cracking a smile at that.

“You’re so right,” he said, finally laughing. Yukiko leaned in and wrapped her one free arm around him in a tight hug. She stepped back after a moment, a serious look on her face.

“Just so you know, I’m here for you. And not just me! There’s Chie, and Kanji-kun, and Naoto-kun, and Akihiko-san, and even Nanako-chan!” Yukiko said.

“Thanks,” Yu replied.

“Oh, and Teddie! I know he’s only been here for a few days, but he really seems to like you, you know? I wonder how he’s doing, anyway? I hope he hasn’t gotten into trouble…” Yukiko said.

“You should go check on him,” Yu said. “My uncle will be back any minute, and he’s just going to send you away so we can talk, anyway.”

“Are you sure?” Yukiko asked, looking troubled.

“Positive. I can take it from here,” he said. She nodded and headed for the exit.

“Good night, Yu,” she said, pausing at the door. 

“Good night, Yukiko,” he replied, and she stepped out. He made his way over to the water basin and wetted a cloth, vigorously scrubbing the makeup off of his face. He hated the stuff, honestly. Even if he had been born a woman, he thought he’d still hate it, but it was insulting to have to wear it when he knew he was a man. He caught sight of the splotchy, red but makeup-less face in a nearby mirror and sighed. His reflection still looked way too feminine, even with his hair short and his face bare. 

A knock at his door startled him out of thoughts he’d been ruminating on more and more recently. 

“Yu, it’s just me,” he heard his uncle say, and he took a deep breath, mustered up his will, and went out to meet him.

“Uncle,” he greeted. “Want to sit?”

“I think we both know I’ll fall asleep if I sit down,” his uncle replied, with a chuckle. It almost made Yu feel like this conversation was going to go well. Almost.

“I understand,” Yu replied. There was a long, awkward pause, before his uncle let out a tired sounding sigh. 

“Yu,” he started, waiting for Yu to meet his eyes before continuing. “You already know what I’m going to say. We don’t have to have this argument again.”

“I don’t want to marry a prince,” Yu said, firmly. “I don’t want to marry _anyone_ when I’m in the wrong body.” 

“But you have to. The law says—” Dojima started, but Yu cut him off.

“The law is stupid!” he protested. “You’re the Lord, why not just change it?!” 

“I can’t do that,” Dojima sighed, sounding very, very tired. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “The elders won’t accept it, and if they don’t, the rest of the town won’t either. These are the laws your parents left us with, and—” 

“Well, then my parents were stupid!” Yu interjected. “They obviously didn’t plan on this situation ever happening! I’ll bet they would change the law if they were still alive.”

“You can’t know that,” Dojima replied. “None of us can. All we can do is follow the laws they left.”

“Lady Kirijo is unmarried,” Yu said. “And Port Tatsumi is even more prosperous than before she took over, or so they say. Why can’t I just rule Inaba alone? Or better yet, why can’t you just keep ruling until—”

“Until what, Yu?” Dojima asked, anger finally starting to leak into his words.

“Until I can find a way to change back into my real body,” Yu replied. “I think I’m close to the answer, I just need a little more time, and—”

“You’ve been searching for _six years_, Yu,” Dojima interrupted. “We’re out of time. You’ll have plenty of time to keep researching after you get married and whichever prince you pick is the one ruling Inaba.” 

That hurt. That really, really hurt, to hear him just _say_ it like that.

“I don’t want a _prince _to rule Inaba!” Yu finally snapped. “These are _my _people and this is _my_ town, and I would think I know how to rule them better than some stupid prince!” His voice got higher pitched and shrill when he got angry and he _hated_ it, but he just couldn’t seem to calm down, now. “Why can’t someone with a female body be the Lord, anyway? What does it matter?” 

“It matters to the elders,” Dojima growled in response, and Yu could tell he was starting to get pissed off. “Look, I agree with everything you’re saying, Yu, but the elders—” 

“_Fuck_ the elders!” Yu finally shouted. He was only a little ashamed of the fact that he’d cursed, and the shame was dumb, too, because if the curse had come out of a man’s mouth it wouldn’t have been an issue. That thought just made him _more_ annoyed. “I don’t— I’m not— I don’t want to marry someone when I’m in the wrong body! What if I _do_ actually find a way to break the curse after I’m married? What then?”

“Yu—” Dojima tried to interrupt, but Yu ignored him.

“Suppose I _do_ pick one of these stupid princes and get married? Do I tell him about the curse? None of them would go through with the marriage if they knew!” Yu continued.

“Yu, that’s _enough_,” Dojima roared, stopping his tirade. “It doesn’t _matter_. The law is the law, and according to law you _must_ marry a prince. You have seven to choose from. Pick one! If you don’t actually like any of them, just pick the one that has the most money, or would be the most beneficial in an alliance, or something. Explain the curse if you want. Keep searching for a way to break the curse if you want. Just for once in your life shut up and follow orders. Just. Pick. Someone. ”

Yu was stunned to silence. He’d had this argument with his uncle before, many times before, but it had never come to _this_. He’d never been given an ultimatum. His uncle had never gotten _this_ angry.

“You have until tomorrow morning, Yu,” Dojima continued, his voice sounding less angry but more stern. “And I won’t take no or silence for an answer.”

And then, his uncle just left. Without even waiting for his response, his uncle just turned away and stormed out of the room, sliding the door shut behind him with a deafening clack. 

And then it was quiet. Too quiet. Yu just stood there, shocked into stillness and silence in a way that made his stomach roll. He felt tears forming behind his eyes and didn’t fight them. He just stood there and wept, exhausted and angry and bitter. The silence stretched on as he cried, and suddenly the silence was so stifling that he started to feel claustrophobic, even in his huge room. He turned and stumbled over to the set of doors on the other side of the room, sliding them open and nearly throwing himself out of them and onto the balcony that overlooked the large, ornate garden in the castle. The sounds of the night, owls hooting and bugs chirping and the distant sounds of merriment from the banquet, washed over him. He took a deep breath, and then another and another, and started to calm down. 

He really didn’t have a choice, did he? There was no way he would convince the elders without his uncle’s support, and just taking over by force, like Lady Kirijo, was hopeless as well. He loved the people of Inaba, but because he wasn’t allowed out of the castle he didn’t _know_ them, and they didn’t know him. There were so few people in Inaba that would help him if he decided to lead a revolt or a civil war. 

He could leave, maybe. He could sneak out of the castle and run away into the night. If he was lucky he wouldn’t be devoured by some beast or killed by a shadow or kidnapped by bandits or vagrants. He could go to another city far, far away and live as a normal person, maybe. It would be a hard life, though, as he didn’t have any skills that would actually be helpful. And, well, he didn’t want to leave. Inaba was _his_ town. He wanted to be here, just…

Not like this. 

Not being told that his opinions, his thoughts, his feelings didn’t matter. He saw first-hand how women were treated, how _wives_ were treated. He didn’t want to shut up and be expected to be subservient to some jackass prince, to bear him children, to let him do whatever he pleased with Inaba. This was _his town_. 

He could throw himself off of the balcony, maybe. The fall might kill him and not just gravely injure him. But he didn’t want that, either. That was giving up, and he didn’t _want_ to give up. He wanted to live in Inaba, to lead his town, his people. He didn’t want to give up. There had to be another way! There had to be _something_! But his uncle was right, he had been searching for six years for a way to break or reverse the curse, and he’d come up empty-handed. There was nothing he could do. Was his only choice really to just shut up and do what he was told?

Yu sat down heavily on the balcony, and a moment later he let himself fall back to lay completely down, staring up at the stars and moon. He was exhausted and beyond frustrated, and he did the only thing he could think of. He started to sing.

> Here comes a wave meant to wash me away

> A tide that is taking me under

> Swallowing sand, left with nothing to say

> My voice drowned out in the thunder.

> But I won’t cry

> And I won’t start to crumble

> Whenever they try

> To shut me or cut me down

> I won’t be silenced

> You can’t keep me quiet

> Won’t tremble when you try it

> All I know is I can’t be speechless

> And I’ll scream

> When they try to suffocate me

> And they underestimate me

> All I know is I can’t be speechless

Yu liked to sing. He always had. He had gotten many, many compliments on his lovely singing voice, and he wondered if he’d get as many if he was in the correct body, with the correct voice. He often wondered what his singing would sound like. 

> Written in stone, every rule, every word

> Centuries old and unbending

> “Stay in your place”

> “Better seen and not heard.”

> Until my story’s ending.

> But I

> I want those rules to crumble

> So come on and try

> To shut me and cut me down

Despite the way his body protested, Yu forced himself to sit up, and then to stand up. He wasn’t going to give up. There had to be _something_. Even if he had to go in front of the elders alone and plead his case. Even if he had to threaten to take his own life. There had to be _something_.

> I won’t be silent

> You can’t keep me quiet

> I’m daring you to try it

> All I know is I can’t be speechless

> Speechless

> Let the storm in

> I cannot be broken

> No, I won’t live unspoken

> And I know that I can’t be speechless

He didn’t care if people could hear him. Not his uncle, not the elders, not the princes, he didn’t care anymore. He started to pace up and down the balcony now, singing louder and louder just to feel the way his throat started to burn, his vocal cords vibrating with the noise. It felt good.

> Try to lock me in this cage

> I won’t simply lay down and die

> I’ll take these broken wings

> And burn my way across the sky

> I won’t be silent

> No, you won’t see me tremble when you try it

> All I know is I can’t be speechless

> And I’ll scream

> When you try to suffocate me

> Don’t you underestimate me

> All I know is I can’t be speechless

> Speechless

He could hear the final word echoing around the walls of the castle as he panted for breath, face turned up toward the night sky, eyes squeezed closed. He was so caught up in the song, the emotion, his own inner turmoil, that he was almost completely unaware of his surroundings. 

He jumped and let out a surprised yelp, nearly stumbling off of the balcony, when he suddenly heard someone clapping from very nearby. His first thoughts were maybe his uncle had come back to apologize, or maybe Yukiko had come to check on him, or perhaps it was even Nanako. So he was completely shocked to find, standing on the other end of his balcony, still in the clothes he’d worn to the banquet... Prince Kousuke. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note about Yu's gender: He was born male and was male up until the catastrophe from six years earlier in the story, at which point he was cursed to become female. He doesn't know the means or motivation for why he was turned into a woman. (It will be eventually revealed, but I don't want to spoil the surprise!) I debated about whether or not I should reveal that fact before this chapter, but decided to hold off for Dramatic Tension (tm). I understand that gender can be a very personal subject and if I've upset anyone by not actually having Yu be trans, I do apologize. I am certainly not saying that this can't be read as a trans narrative, though!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been going around all day today, Tuesday, thinking it was Monday, like a BUFFOON. Time becomes meaningless around the holidays, doesn't it...

“I’m so sorry,” Prince Kousuke began, looking genuinely worried about Yu. “I didn’t mean to startle you, I just—”

“How did you get up here?” Yu demanded. He couldn’t possibly have come through the castle, nobody was allowed into Yu’s chambers without his permission, for starters. The balcony was also very high up, and there were no stairs leading down from it. Did he _scale the castle wall_?

“Oh, um…” Prince Kousuke stammered. “If I show you, you have to keep it a secret, okay?” 

“What?” Yu asked, completely thrown off by this strange turn of events. 

“It’s a secret, okay?” Kousuke pressed. Yu finally nodded, and Kousuke turned away from him, gesturing at...something. And then something that made Yu question his own sanity happened. A purple carpet… floated up beside the prince. A carpet. Floated. 

Yu blinked, but it was still there, hovering in the air beside the prince. He rubbed his eyes, and the purple carpet was still there. 

“This is a dream,” Yu concluded. He’d fallen asleep on the balcony when he’d laid down, and his whole song and all of this was a stress-induced dream. 

“It isn’t,” Kousuke said. He cautiously took a step forward. Yu decided to humor him, pinching his inner arm and… well. It wasn’t a dream then, was it? He looked back up, and the carpet was still there. It was a rather nice carpet, more like a rug really. A nice shade of purple, and looked to be made of fine, soft materials, but sturdy. But it was flying. There was nothing supporting it from below, nor was there anything above it it could be hanging from. 

“Wait,” Yu said, after a moment of contemplating the existence of a floating rug. “Are you saying this got you up here?” No, that was too bizarre to be true, right?

The prince just grinned at him and hopped up, feet landing on the carpet, and the carpet didn’t go anywhere. It just supported him. Floating. 

“That was a great song, by the way,” Kousuke said as he hopped down off of the carpet. “You have a lovely singing voice. But you sounded sad, and angry, and I was concerned. Sorry again for startling you.”

“You heard my song,” Yu started, incredulous. “So you got your… flying carpet… and came to check on me?” 

“Yes,” Kousuke confirmed. “But when you put it like that it _does_ sound rather far fetched.”

Curiosity was getting the better of him. He approached the carpet, carefully, and once he was close enough, Yu reached out and poked at it. It felt like a normal carpet, and he’d been correct about the fine-ness of the materials. 

“How did… what is this? Where did it come from?” Yu found himself asking. He reached out again and patted at the carpet, and it felt solid and firm, even as it rippled and flowed in the air like it was being blown by a great breeze. Yu waved a hand under the carpet, and there really was _nothing_ there. 

“Now _that_ is a secret I’m afraid I can’t tell you yet,” Kousuke replied. Yu looked at him, frowning. 

“So you heard my song and you flew up here on your magic carpet, in the middle of the night, and now you’re on my balcony and keeping secrets from me,” Yu stated. The prince had the grace to blush, reaching up to scratch at his head. It was kind of cute. 

“Yes?” he answered. 

“Well… thank you for your concern,” Yu replied. He turned back to the carpet and patted at it again, shaking his head in wonder. “And thank you for showing me this fascinating thing.”

“Um, should I go now? Or...do you want to talk about what’s got you so upset?” Kousuke asked. Yu almost laughed at the sheer audacity of it. 

“No offence, Prince Kousuke, but I barely know you,” he replied. Kousuke frowned at him.

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m glad you’re safe, princess. I’ll go.” He turned away and started off for the edge of the balcony, carpet floating beside him.

Yu bit his lip. Despite the fact that Kousuke was very much a part of the problem, it wasn’t like Kousuke _knew_ that. And Yu didn’t want to be alone right now, but at the same time, who could he turn to? If he told Kousuke about everything, what good would that even do? 

“Unless…” Kousuke started trailing off. He turned back around and looked over at Yu. “Forgive my improperness, princess, but perhaps you could use a bit of a distraction?” 

“Distraction?” Yu asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“How would you like to go for a ride with me on my carpet?” Kousuke asked. Yu’s eyebrows flew up into his hairline. “Oh man, that sounded totally creepy, didn’t it? I’m really not trying to be a creep or kidnap you or anything, princess, I just—”

“Let’s go,” Yu said, cutting him off. He blinked.

“Wait, really?” Kousuke asked, and Yu nodded, emphatically. 

“Yes. Let’s go. How do you steer it?” Yu asked, approaching the carpet. Kousuke scrambled to hop onto the carpet and grabbed the two front edges. Yu wasn’t sure how he did it, but the carpet floated down closer to the floor of the balcony. Yu took a deep breath to steel himself and hopped onto the carpet, sitting down beside Kousuke.

“Hold on,” Kousuke told him.

“To what—” Yu started to ask, but Kousuke urged the carpet forward and Yu had little choice but to grab ahold of the prince himself as the carpet flew up and forward. Yu watched the garden, and then the castle, and then Inaba, shrink as they flew away from them up into the sky. They circled the mountain that Inaba was built into, shooting up toward the clouds. Yu gasped and braced himself, only to find himself laughing with joy and wonder when they simply flew into and through a cloud, the chilly vapor breaking harmlessly against them. And then they were above the clouds, and the scene was absolutely breathtaking. Kousuke cleared his throat, and Yu tore his eyes away from the moonlit land below to find the prince looking somewhat bashful. 

And then he started to sing, and Yu was all at once both charmed and envious, because he had a lovely, _masculine_ singing voice.

> I can show you the world

> Shining, shimmering, splendid

> Tell me, princess, 

> now when did you last let your heart decide?

> I can open your eyes

> Take you wonder by wonder

> Over, sideways, and under, on a magic carpet ride

> A whole new world

> A new fantastic point of view

> No-one to tell us no

> Or where to go

> Or say we’re only dreaming

As he sang, Kousuke directed the carpet down, away from Inaba and to a set of twinkling lights in the distance. His voice was nice and the song was nice, echoing through the night air, and Yu was overcome with the urge to join his song. 

> A whole new world

> A dazzling place I never knew

> But when I’m way up here

> It’s crystal clear

> That now I’m in a whole new world with you

Kousuke grinned in response when Yu joined the song, and the grin was infectious. Kousuke sang as they approached a town that was breathtakingly huge, bordered by a dense forest and a huge body of water that was sparkling in the moonlight. 

> Now I’m in a whole new world with you

The closer they got to the city, the bigger it seemed to get. It was bigger than Inaba by far, and Yu didn’t even know where to look — the castle in the distance, the streets absolutely bustling with people and animals, the dazzling amounts of torches and lamps, the moon, the stars, the water…

> Unbelievable sights

> Indescribable feelings

> Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

> Through an endless diamond sky

> A whole new world

They soared over the city and toward the water at an almost alarming rate, and then they were headed straight down, plunging straight toward the water. Yu gasped and instinctively closed his eyes, bracing for impact, but he felt the carpet pull up and a spray of cold water that was oddly salty. It wasn’t enough to get them drenched, but just enough to spray over them. It was cold and refreshing. 

“Don’t you dare close your eyes,” Kousuke sang. He winked, and Yu laughed.

“A hundred thousand things to see,” Yu continued the song.

“Hold your breath, it gets better,” Kousuke sang. He pulled up on the carpet, and they soared back up into the air. 

> I’m like a shooting star,

> I’ve come so far,

> I can’t go back to where I used to be

“A whole new world,” Kousuke sang, they swept back in the direction they’d come from, passing back over the huge city that now looked small so far below them.

“Every turn a surprise,” Yu sang.

“With new horizons to pursue,” Kousuke added.

“Every moment red-letter,” Yu continued. It felt good to sing like this, to sing with someone else. He turned to look at Kousuke and Kousuke looked at him, and it was like Yu was singing the lyrics to a song he’d heard since childhood, that was etched into his soul, and to his delight, Kousuke sang with him, too, the same words.

> I’ll chase them anywhere

> There’s time to spare

> Let me share this whole new world with you

There was no masking the delight on Kousuke’s face, and Yu was sure he looked just as ecstatic. This felt...good. It felt right, to be thousands of feet in the air on a magic, flying carpet, sitting beside Prince Kousuke. Yu didn’t know how to describe it. It felt like his soul was singing along with his body.

“A whole new world,” Kousuke sang.

“A whole new world,” Yu echoed.

“That’s where we’ll be.” 

“That’s where we’ll be.”

“A thrilling chase.”

“A wondrous place.” 

Kousuke turned to look at him, and Yu looked up into his eyes. 

“For you and me,” they sang together. The carpet just kept flying along through the dark sky, and Yu found that he couldn’t look away from Kousuke’s face. He felt drawn in, like there was a static current between the two of them. He was pretty sure that Kousuke was going to kiss him, and he was _very_ sure he was okay with that, but Kousuke blinked and shook his head, pulling away with a blush decorating his cheeks.

“Uh, sorry…” Kousuke said. Yu blinked and snapped out of the trance he’d been in, also blushing, and looked away, down at the endless sea of trees passing underneath them. “I… um, I swear I didn’t bring you out here to take advantage of you, or anything…”

“No, it’s fine,” Yu answered. He looked up at Kousuke, and Kousuke was looking away, but what of his face Yu could see looked genuinely anxious. He reached down and took one of Kousuke’s hands, and Kousuke looked at him, confused and hopeful. He smiled up at him. “I know you didn’t. And thank you, for the song and for…” He gestured down at the landscape below them. “...this.”

“You’re welcome, princess,” Kousuke replied. “Um, so, are you feeling better? Shall we go back to Inaba?” 

“Sure,” Yu answered, though he kind of wanted to fly out further away. He had never left Inaba before, and there was just so much more of the world than he had ever thought possible. All the books he’d read didn’t do it justice. And he was only seeing it in the moonlight! Perhaps he could convince Kousuke to take him out on another ride like this during the daytime. Oh, but in the morning…

He sighed, bitterly, and Kousuke grabbed the edges of the carpet, slowing it down.

“What’s wrong?” Kousuke asked. Yu swallowed around nothing. 

“I don’t want to go back to the castle just yet,” he admitted. Kousuke seemed to think about something for a second, and then he nodded.

“Okay. We don’t have to go back to the castle, then. I think I know a good place to go,” Kousuke said. Yu nodded, and then they were soaring through the air again, and the familiar landscape around Inaba started to become visible. First the mountain, then the Samegawa, then the buildings and the castle came into view. Kousuke directed the carpet to the outskirts of the town, pulling it to a stop hovering above the river. They had a nice view of the mountain and the sprawling fields outside of the town. 

“So, mind telling me about what’s on your mind? If you want to, that is,” Kousuke finally said. Yu stared down at the river for a few minutes. There was something familiar about the place that they’d stopped. It was dark, so Yu hadn’t noticed right away, but he’d definitely been here. Brow furrowed, he leaned over the side of the carpet a little and looked around. Yu hadn’t been out in Inaba much at all, just those two days he’d snuck out of the castle. If this area was familiar to him, that meant it had to be…

He looked back toward the town, and although it was pretty dark here, he definitely spotted the outline of Yosuke’s house. This was where Yosuke and Teddie had taught him to fish! But why were they _here_, of all places? It had to be a coincidence, right? 

But then he looked up at Kousuke, and something just kind of slid into place in his brain, and he couldn’t _believe_ he hadn’t recognized him! Especially since here, in the dark, with only moonlight to see by, he could so clearly see that he was Yosuke, or at least someone that looked _just_ like him. And talked just like him. And acted just like him.

But Yosuke was a thief, right? He’d been caught and put in the dungeon, and now he was missing, and…

Well, maybe it _was_ Yosuke after all, then. But how had he convinced everyone that he was a prince? Where had he gotten that entire parade and the elephant and such nice clothing? And a magic carpet? How had nobody recognized him? Where had he gone? What _happened_? 

“Are you…?” Yu started. Kousuke cocked his head, letting Yu know he was listening. “Are you Yosuke?” 

Kousuke choked on nothing.

“Uh...what? What do you mean? Who is Yosuke? I’ve never heard that name in my life!” he protested. 

“You are!” Yu exclaimed. “You are Yosuke, aren’t you?” 

“I-I don’t know what you mean!” Kousuke protested. Yu frowned, and then realized that there was a very easy way to get him to admit to the truth, to find out if this really was just a huge coincidence or not.

“Listen, everyone is worried about you, but Teddie is worried the most. He’s at the castle right now, we’re taking care of him, but he’s been crying nonstop for _days_,” Yu said. Kousuke’s eyes went wide and he looked at Yu, shocked.

“Teddie’s okay?” he asked. Then he realized his error and winced. “Um, I mean, I don’t know who this Teddie is, but I’m glad he’s okay…”

“Look, you can drop the act. I don’t know what happened to you, but your secret is safe with me, okay? Just...please tell me the truth,” Yu asked. Kousuke closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Okay,” he said, opening his eyes and looking down at Yu. “Okay. It’s true, I’m not really Kousuke from Hanamura, I’m Yosuke.” 

He’d been pretty sure that it had been the truth, but hearing Yosuke _admit_ it made a wave of relief wash over Yu. Yosuke was safe! Yosuke was here! He threw his arms around the startled man.

“Oh, Yosuke, I was so worried! We were all so worried!” Yu exclaimed, squeezing him tight. 

“Re-really?” Yosuke asked. Yu pulled away and nodded. 

“Yeah. Teddie and Chie especially. And I...gods, I was so worried that you were sent off to die because of my stupid pendant!” Yu exclaimed. 

“Heh. Well, almost…” Yosuke said. Yu sat back and fixed him with a look.

“Okay. What happened? And please tell the truth. Your secret really is safe with me. You kept my secret about sneaking out of the castle, after all!” Yu demanded. Yosuke frowned.

“Alright. But first, I just want to say that if I’d known you were the princess all along and not a handmaiden, I would have acted _way_ differently, and I would have tried to reign in Teddie a little more. Sorry about that,” Yosuke apologized. Yu shook his head.

“That’s the point! I didn’t want you to treat me any differently than a handmaiden. It was refreshing, not to have to act like a princess with you, you know?” Yu explained. Yosuke shook his head with a chuckle. 

“I guess,” Yosuke said. “Um, so, I guess I should start with the night I snuck into the castle to give you back your pendant…”

Yu sat on the magically floating carpet and listened, totally enraptured, as Yosuke told him the crazy tale of his past few days. How he’d been forced to break into the castle at Port Tatsumi and steal the lamp. How he’d been chased through the woods by a shadow version of himself. How he’d fallen into the cave, and how a strange being called a genie had come out of the lamp. The dazzling way the genie had explained the wishes to him. How he’d made his first wish… And here, he paused.

“I, um,” Yosuke faltered, cheeks going red. “I used my first wish to become a prince, because, um…”

“Because?” Yu asked. 

“I thought that if I was a prince, I could… y’know… I could…” he stammered, looking everywhere but at Yu. After a prolonged pause he finally looked at him. “...marry you.”

_Oh_. 

Yu’s face went red instantly, and he had to look away, down at the river, as he processed what Yosuke had just told him. He had risked his life to steal a lamp that contained a magical being that could grant three wishes, and of all the wishes in the world, Yosuke had asked to become a prince... so Yosuke could have a chance to _marry him_. Yu felt a sudden, intense, dazzling wave of affection rush over him, affection for the man who was sitting there nervously staring at his lap, red cheeks visible even in the moonlight. Yu had liked him before, when Yosuke had thought he was a handmaiden and Yosuke had been nothing but a poverty-stricken thief. That had been just a mere crush. _This_ was…

“So you’re telling me,” Yu asked, and he was surprised to find that he was a little breathless. “You could have wished for _anything_… health, wealth, power, immortality… and you just wanted a _chance_ to marry me?” 

“Yes?” Yosuke replied, finally looking up at him. Their eyes locked, and Yu couldn’t help it. He leaned forward, and Yosuke leaned in too, to his absolute delight. Yu tilted his head, leaning forward and grabbing him by the shoulders for support and slotting their lips together. Yosuke made a surprised noise into the kiss, but Yu felt arms go around his waist, pulling him in, and Yosuke’s lips started moving against his, and it was _perfect_. Yu’s swirling, chaotic thoughts were reduced down to how good it felt to be pressed against Yosuke, how Yosuke’s lips felt against his, how his brain was going fuzzy and hazy. 

“I...guess I made the right choice?” Yosuke asked, breathless, when they pulled away. Yu couldn’t get his brain to work enough to think of an appropriate response, so he just closed the distance between them and kissed him again. The next time they separated it was to suck in lungfuls of air. Yu sat back away from Yosuke and Yosuke let him, pulling his arms away, as they both just breathed. And Yu’s mind started to whirl. There were _possibilities_. Maybe Yosuke would let him make a wish. Just _one wish_. He could wish for the correct body, and then his uncle and the elders and the townspeople couldn’t deny him the right to become the Lord, and then he and Yosuke could get married, and they—

Oh. Right. He was still… His body was still a woman’s. He would have to tell Yosuke about the curse. He owed it to him, to explain that. But surely that wouldn’t… Yosuke wouldn’t deny him the wish, would he? Yosuke wouldn’t leave, right? Even if he didn’t want to marry a man, surely he wouldn’t be that heartless. Not _Yosuke_. 

“I…” Yu started, and he actually started to feel nausea forming in his guts, but he pushed passed it, he persisted. “I have to tell you something, Yosuke. I’m not…”

“You’re not what?” Yosuke asked, and he looked so _concerned_, so _worried_. Yu gulped. 

“I’m not really—”

Yu didn’t get to finish his sentence, because very, _very _suddenly, the carpet was no longer floating, and the two of them were plunging into the frigid water of the Samegawa.


	17. Chapter 17

Rise was having the time of her life. 

None of her other masters had ever let her stay outside of the lamp for this long, let alone do something like attend a party or dance! And these people she was surrounded by, the princes and their entourages, the merchants of Inaba, the nobles… They were all clamoring to dance with her. And dance she did. Song after song, without getting tired. She’d spent ten thousand years in that stuffy lamp. She wasn’t going to get tired after a little exercise! Her master was really missing out on some fun, wasn’t he? Well, if he wanted to go to bed early, who was she to stop him?

It was a blast, until it very suddenly wasn’t. She stopped dead in her tracks, causing a couple to bump into her, and she apologized on auto-pilot, but she didn’t hear their reply. There was someone touching her lamp, and it wasn’t Yosuke. It was a dark presence. She turned and sprinted for the exit, throwing herself into the hallway before she disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, reappearing in the room where her lamp was. It was right where Yosuke had left it, insistent that he didn’t think he could hide it on himself and worried that it might be spotted, when she had told him he needed to keep it on him. Now Yosuke was nowhere to be seen, but there was a dark-haired man with a cruel smile, and he had a hand on the handle of the lamp. 

“Don’t touch that!” Rise shrieked and extended her hands in a panic. The magic wouldn’t come, though. It didn’t have anything to do with Yosuke’s wish to become a prince and woo the princess, after all. She felt frustrated tears well up in her eyes as the man stared her down. He picked up the lamp, and she crumpled, glaring up at him. 

“Interesting,” the man said. He looked at the lamp more closely, and Rise knew that it was over. Yosuke was no longer her master, now. It was this man, this evil man. 

Tohru Adachi.

* * *

Yosuke’s first thought, after realizing that he’d just been dumped into the freezing cold Samegawa, was that something was very wrong. His second thought was that he needed to help the Princess. He struggled to the surface of the water and looked around, frantic, only to see Yui a few feet away from him, kicking and splashing and struggling. She had probably never needed to learn how to swim, and therefore was never taught. He swam over to her and grabbed her around the waist, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

“I’ve got you, Princess, just hold on,” he gasped. Slowly, laboriously, he managed to get them both over to the bank of the river, thanking various gods that the Samegawa wasn’t a particularly fast flowing river. He hauled himself out and pulled Yui out as well, and they both stood on the bank for a second, shivering and confused.

“W-w-what happened?” Yui asked.

“I don’t know,” Yosuke answered, honestly. He looked around, and almost immediately spotted something terribly wrong. There was an ominous red glow coming from the direction of the castle. Yui spotted it too, if her sudden gasp was any indication.

“Fire?” she asked, looking at Yosuke.

“I hope not,” he said, but he had a terrible, sinking feeling in his stomach. “Come on.” He took off running, and Yui was right behind him. 

The scene was absolute chaos when they arrived at the castle gates. There were guards and townsfolk running around, absolutely panicked. 

“Come on, inside!” Yui shouted. He grabbed her arm when she started to run into the gates.

“Wait! We should make sure it’s safe first!” he explained. He looked around, hoping to spot a guard he knew, and as luck would have it he spotted Chie running toward the castle gates. “Chie!” he called out. She stopped dead in her tracks, skidding a little, and spun around so fast that he was worried she had whiplash. Her eyes widened when she saw just who had called her.

“Yosuke?!” she cried. She spotted who was standing next to him and her eyes somehow managed to get wider. “Princess Yui?! What—” 

“What’s going on, Chie?” Yosuke asked, as the two of them approached her. 

“What are… Where have you been? How did you… Why are you with the Princess?” Chie demanded.

“No time for that. What’s happening?” he asked.

“I-I dunno! The… The castle sounded an alarm, but nobody knows what’s going on!” Chie explained. 

“Yosuke, let’s go,” Yui pleaded with him, and he nodded.

“Okay. Chie, come with us?” he asked. 

“Wait,” she said, blinking at him. “Hold on. Why are you wearing those clothes? You look like that prince—” 

“No time!” both Yui and Yosuke shouted at her. She had to scramble to keep up as they both dashed through the gates and into the courtyard. 

Inside was even more pandemonium than outside. There were more guards, and they were rushing around even more. Yosuke looked around to see if he could spot either Kanji or Captain Sanada, but neither were anywhere to be found. Chie jogged up to a guard that was more or less stationary, and Yosuke followed, Yui close on his heels. 

“No idea,” the guard was saying as they approached. “The alarm was sounded by the Lord himself, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone attacking Inaba.”

“Come on,” Yui said, grabbing Yosuke’s hand and dashing for the entrance to the castle.

“Wait up!” he heard Chie call, and could only assume she was right behind them. When they got to the doors to the castle, they were stopped by several guards that were blocking the entrance.

“No entrance,” one said, frowning sternly at them.

“Do you not know who I am?” Yui demanded, furious. The guard narrowed his eyes at her.

“No entrance,” he repeated.

“I am Princess Yui Narukami, and you will allow me in at once!” Yui hissed at him. The guard frowned.

“Nonsense. The Princess is safe inside the castle. You’re just some short-haired impostor,” he replied. 

“Daisuke, she’s telling the truth!” Chie piped up, stalking up around Yosuke’s other side and getting between the guard and the two of them. “You have to let her in! And me too, for that matter!”

“Chie?” the guard, Daisuke, asked. He looked around her at Yui again. “Is this really the princess?”

“Yes!” both Yui and Chie exclaimed, sounding exasperated. 

“And who is this?” he asked, frowning at Yosuke. “He looks like Yosuke, but those clothes—”

Yui cut him off by pushing past Chie and shoving the startled guard to the side, pulling Yosuke along behind her as she rushed into the castle. 

“Aaah, Princess, slow down!” Chie called after them. 

They dashed through the courtyard, Yui dodging and weaving around guards and servants alike, and soon enough they were running into the main hall. It was still decorated from the banquet earlier, complete with the three thrones in the center of the room. Yui came to a screeching halt, Yosuke right behind her, as they entered the room. 

Seated in the middle throne, the one reserved for Lord Dojima, was no other than the shifty black-haired man that had kidnapped Yosuke and forced him to steal the lamp from the Kirijo clan: Tohru Adachi. He looked a little different from how Yosuke remembered him, though. For starters, he was wearing a black and red version of the ceremonial robes that Dojima wore, the ones that denoted him as the current Lord of Inaba. 

On the ground in front of him was a very angry looking Dojima who was, strangely, wearing a plain black hakama. He looked like he was struggling against some invisible force holding him down, swearing and straining but unable to move. The reason for this was obvious, however: Rise was standing beside him, hand outstretched toward him, a pained expression on her face, like this was the last thing she wanted to be doing. 

“Rise!” Yosuke exclaimed, at the same time Yui shouted for her uncle. 

“Ah, just the two people I wanted to see,” Adachi spoke up from the throne. “The princess and the lying, treacherous thief.” 

“What is the meaning of this?!” Yui snarled. “What are you doing to my uncle?” She started to lunge forward, but Yosuke grabbed her elbow and pulled her back, noticing for the first time the guards that were standing around the room. These were Inaba guards, to be sure, but it was pretty clear where their allegiances lay, as they all had katana and naginata pointed at the two of them. 

“Careful, Princess,” Yosuke said, voice pitched low. “I don’t know what happened, but the guards—” 

“Answer my question, Adachi!” Yui demanded. The black-haired man slowly rose from his seat, grabbing a black and red staff as he did. 

“Why, I’ve become the rightful Lord of Inaba, as I was always intended to, Princess,” he explained. 

“You treacherous son of a—” Dojima snapped from his place on the floor. Adachi cut him off, abruptly spinning in place to address Rise.

“Genie, shut him up, will you?” he demanded. She sighed but did as he asked. A few sparks of magic shot out of her outstretched hand, and the sound of Dojima cursing at Adachi abruptly faded. 

“He has the lamp,” Yosuke quitely informed Yui. “He used a wish to become the Lord of Inaba.” He quickly scanned over the black and red robes, spotting a hint of gold at his waist, opposite where he was wearing two decorative swords. “There, it’s on his right side, on his belt.”

“We have to get it away from him, right?” Yui asked. Yosuke nodded. “Okay, I think I have a plan, but—”

“Now that this disgrace of a man has been silenced,” Adachi continued, and Yui abruptly stopped talking to pay attention. “We can get to work. Captain Sanada?” 

“Yes?” the white-haired man asked, appearing from a cluster of guards near the throne. 

“Order your men to round up all of the princes and their entourages and put them in the dungeon. Oh, and take care of this fool,” Adachi said, gesturing with his staff toward a livid-looking Dojima, “And those two as well.” Here he pointed to Yui and Yosuke. Captain Sanada looked around, looking troubled, before shaking his head.

“I can’t do that,” he said. Adachi frowned.

“You obey the Lord of Inaba, do you not?” Adachi asked. Captain Sanada nodded, looking unsure. “And I am the Lord of Inaba. Do as I say.”

“But—” Captain Sanada started. Adachi, who had started to turn away, whirled on the man now. 

“Do. As. I. Say!” Adachi snarled. Captain Sanada shook his head. “Impudent! Fine! As the Lord of Inaba, I hereby strip you of your title of Captain of the Guard.” He looked around and pointed at a random guard standing next to Sanada. “You! You are the captain of the guard now. Follow my orders!”

“With-with all due respect, Lord Dojima has done nothing—” the guard started to reply.

“Dojima _is _nothing!” Adachi roared, shoving Captain Sanada aside and storming up to the guard, who now looked panicked. “And he is in the way. If you won’t follow my orders, I’ll have you thrown in the dungeon too!” He looked around, and most of the guards he looked at avoided his gaze. He frowned. “Will none of you do your duty and obey the Lord of Inaba?!”

“You are Lord in name only, Adachi,” Yui said, her voice cold. He whirled to face her, furious. 

“I _am_ the Lord of Inaba!” he spat. He turned away from Yui’s impassive stare, facing Rise, who was still regretfully holding Dojima down with magic. 

“Your magic is imperfect. Make them obey me!” he demanded. Rise shook her head. “Do it! Do you forget who holds your lamp, woman?!”

“I can’t change the minds or hearts of humans,” Rise explained, timidly. Adachi began to rapidly stalk towards her, enraged. “I made you the Lord of Inaba, so it is up to you to change their minds—” She abruptly stopped her explanation and tried to flinch away as he approached her, swinging a fist at her in rage. She cried out sharply as she was hit, tumbling backwards. Dojima was released from his magical hold in the process and scrambled to his feet, but Adachi seemed ready for that, whirling on him and decking him in the face, too.

“Uncle!” Yui exclaimed, and Yosuke went silent with rage at seeing Rise get hit. 

“Fine,” Adachi said, his voice ringing out in the suddenly silent room. “If none of you will obey me by choice, I’ll just force you to.” He reached to his belt and withdrew the lamp, starting to rub it as he snarled out his wish. “If you won’t kneel before a Lord, then you will cower before a sorcerer! Genie, my second wish: I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world!”

Rise begrudgingly got to her feet. With hatred in her eyes, she declared, “Your wish is my command, Master.” Sparks shot from her fingertips and swirled around Adachi, who began to chuckle, evolving into full-blown maniacal laughter as the magic lifted him up to hover in the air. The black and red vestments of the Lord of Inaba vanished and were replaced with an ornate set of hakama that were pitch black aside from what looked like sinister red veins snaking across the garments. His eyes turned from their normal dark color to bright, glowing yellow, reminding Yosuke unnervingly of the eyes of the Shadow he’d encountered in the forest the previous night. 

Adachi touched down on the castle floor, black and red staff in hand, and surveyed the room with a twisted smile on his face. 

“First thing’s first,” he said, spinning to face Captain Sanada. “You!” he declared, thrusting his staff at the white-haired man. A pained expression suddenly came over Sanada’s face, and he clutched at his head. “Put Dojima in the dungeon.” Captain Sanada’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. “And lock yourself in once you’re done.” Captain Sanada abruptly went still, hands falling to his sides as he straightened himself up to his full height.

His eyes were glowing with the same sickly golden light. 

“Of course, my Lord,” Captain Sanada said, his voice sounding lifeless. He turned away at once. Adachi grinned. 

“Excellent,” he said. He turned to address the large cluster of castle guards that had mustered, all of them looking nervous and confused. “And you lot,” he said, once again thrusting out his staff. In unison, all of the guards grabbed at their heads. “Round up the princes and their entourages.” 

“We’ve gotta get out of here,” Yosuke said, realizing what was happening. He grabbed Yui’s hand and tried to pull her away, but she was watching Dojima get hauled to his feet by Captain Sanada, despair on her face. “Princess, come on, we’ve got to leave—” 

“Not so fast,” Adachi said, and Yosuke jumped, startled, as the man was suddenly right in front of the two of them. He instinctively pulled Yui behind him, putting himself between Adachi and her. “I’m afraid I’ve got bigger plans for you, Princess. And you, the treacherous thief that kept the lamp from me… oh, you’ll be getting a _handsome_ reward for that.”

“I won’t let you hurt the Princess,” Yosuke growled. He slowly started to back up, Yui backing up with him. Adachi smirked.

“And just what do you think you can do to stop me, thief?” he asked. Yosuke honestly didn’t have an answer for that, but he didn’t back down.

“Everything I can,” he answered. His mind was racing, trying to find a way out of the situation, but nothing was presenting itself.

All of a sudden, Yosuke saw Yui lunge to her left and throw her weight against an unsuspecting guard, wrenching the katana out of his hand. She shrieked a battle cry and flew at Adachi, sword raised in perfect form. The sword stopped barely inches from Adachi’s shocked face, sparks flying as he blocked the sword with his staff. 

“Not so fast, Princess—” Adachi began, but Yosuke took the opportunity to lunge for Adachi’s right, aiming not so much to hit him as to try to grab the lamp from his belt. 

“Nice try, boy,” Adachi snarled, and Yosuke was suddenly stopped by an invisible but very much there wall of force. He barely had time to react before both he and Yui were thrown back by a wave of energy. Yosuke, used to having to catch his balance, landed on both feet a few feet away from Adachi. Yui managed to land in a crouch, unsteady but unharmed.

“Guards,” Adachi announced, and as one all of the guards that had been heading for the various exits of the room all stopped and turned to face him. “Some of you have new orders now. Capture the Princess and this wretched thief. Alive, but you may harm them if necessary.” 

All of a sudden, the two of them were being swarmed by castle guards, blue and silver armor abruptly closing in on them from all sides. Yosuke spotted a gap in the sea of armor and rushed over to help Yui to her feet, pulling her along as he made a break for the quickly shrinking gap. The guards changed course to try to intercept them, but Yosuke was fast and was able to dodge around them, Yui stopping a couple of swords with her stolen blade. They just managed to dodge through the guards, barrelling out of the miraculously still-open doors and into the courtyard. 

They were intercepted almost immediately by Chie. Yosuke skidded to a stop, Yui right behind him. He opened his mouth to ask what Chie was doing, but noticed her eyes flash that same horrible golden yellow. Yosuke noticed a large shape move to flank them, and didn’t have to turn to look to figure out that it was Kanji, and that he probably was also under the control of Adachi as well. 

“Chie,” Yosuke started, trying to maintain as much eye contact with her while also surreptitiously looking around for an escape route of some kind. “We’ve had our differences, but I know you don’t want to do this. I know you’re in there somewhere, Chie. Fight it!”

He’d really been just babbling in order to try to buy some time, but it looked like what he was saying was actually affecting her, somehow. At first it was just a confused frown on her face, then she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Yosuke looked on in fascination.

“Gotta...do what… Lord Adachi says…” Chie muttered, shaking her head again and training cold golden eyes on him. She got into a fighting stance, but then immediately stopped, gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut again. 

“Fight it, Chie!” Yosuke encouraged. “I know you can do it—”

“Watch out!” Yui suddenly exclaimed, and she was shoving him to the side. He wisely moved with her, and Kanji stumbled past them, his attempt to tackle them having failed. 

“Yosuke…” he heard Chie groan, sounding confused and winded. “Princess… Yui…”

“That’s it!” Yosuke exclaimed. “Fight it, Chie!” Golden yellow eyes opened, Chie’s expression looking extremely pained. Her eyes flickered back to their normal brown for just a moment, before she grabbed her head and groaned in pain. Feeling bold, Yosuke approached her, putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, eyes flickering again. “You are Chie Satonaka, the toughest girl I know, the best at kung fu in Inaba, and we’ve been friends for longer than I can remember. You can do it, Chie. I believe in you.”

“Yosuke?” Chie asked. She blinked, eyes flickering rapidly, before they finally settled, permanently, on her normal brown. “...Yosuke!” Yosuke grinned at her.

“Welcome back, Chie,” he said, taking his hands off of her shoulders and stepping back. She caught one of his arms by the wrist and tugged him forward, not exactly towards her but enough that he stumbled out of the way of, yet again, Kanji attempting to tackle him. This time Kanji was ready for the dodge, though, and turned around almost immediately, golden eyes flaring. 

“Kanji!” Chie exclaimed, stepping partially in front of Yosuke, arms out. “Snap out of it! You’re being controlled!” He just snarled at her, clearly not comprehending anything. Yui stepped up this time, shoving her way past Yosuke and standing beside Chie, arms also out, so that Yosuke was entirely behind both of them.

“Kanji, I’m asking you to please step down. Not as your princess, but as your friend,” Yui said, her voice strong and unwavering. Kanji frowned, and Yosuke spotted a flicker of his normal gray eyes.

“It’s working,” he said to the two girls, who looked back at him, then shared a look and nodded. Chie dropped her arms, Yui following suit, and they took two steps toward Kanji, who now looked like he was at war with himself. 

“It’s been just me, you and Captain Sanada for years, Kanji,” Chie said. “I know you. You’re way stronger than this magic!” 

“Chie…?” Kanji asked. 

“Kanji, you’ve been an invaluable friend and protector for so long,” Yui started. “Don’t stop now. Don’t let him win. Fight, Kanji!”

“Princess…” Kanji muttered. He clutched at his forehead now, teeth gritted and eyes squeezed closed. Yosuke held his breath, watching the struggle play out on Kanji’s face, before he heard the man give what could only be described as a _roar_.

“Get outta my head, damn it!”

Just like with Chie, his eyes flickered for a few seconds before settling back to their normal gray hue. He looked triumphant but also pissed.

“Hey, it worked!” Chie crowed. Kanji shook his head again, as if trying to clear out cobwebs, before turning to address the two girls. 

“Chie, Princess, thanks. I dunno what that was that was makin’ me wanna fight you guys, but it was some seriously bad shit,” Kanji said. 

“Well, thank goodness you were able to overcome it,” Yui said. Kanji then turned to specifically address Yosuke. 

“And you… Yosuke, where the hell have you been, man?” he asked. Yosuke laughed.

“Long story, man. Long story,” he said. 

“So what was that shit anyway?” Kanji asked.

“Yeah, what the hell did Adachi do back there?” Chie asked. Yosuke shook his head.

“No time for that,” he said, gesturing back towards the castle doors, where guards were starting to rush towards them, having probably noticed that Chie and Kanji, the two highest-ranked castle guards in the near vicinity, were no longer trying to capture Yosuke and the princess. 

“Shit,” Kanji and Chie swore in near-perfect unison.

“This way!” Yui announced before darting away. Yosuke gave chase, Chie and Kanji hot on his heels. The four of them made their way around to the side of the castle, fortunately able to move faster than the guards seemed to be able to. Yui darted through the elaborate garden with grace and ease that only years and years of practice could allow for. Yosuke was naturally nimble, so he was able to follow her without much difficulty, and Chie and Kanji at least had the advantage of knowing the grounds like the backs of their hands, so the four of them were able to reach their destination quickly. It turned out to be a stone stairwell that led up to the roof.

“Why are we going to the roof?” Yosuke asked, even as he barrelled up the stairs after Yui, Chie and Kanji right behind him.

“There’s a way into my room,” Yui answered, her words echoing in the stairwell. “And I need my katana. This one is...decorative.” 

“Yeah…” Yosuke agreed. “But you were sure kicking ass with it.”

“If we want to stand a fighting chance against Adachi, I’ll need mine,” Yui said. Then she burst out of the stairwell and onto the roof, only stopping to make sure the three of them were still following her before she bolted across the roof, making a beeline for the opposite edge. 

With a flash of dark energy, Adachi suddenly appeared directly in her path, and she was only barely able to skid to a stop, changing momentum in time to leap back as he made a grab for her. 

“Not so fast, Princess,” he said. Yosuke had only been a few feet behind her, so he simply let his momentum carry him past her, grabbing again for the lamp. Adachi easily dodged to the side. “Pathetic,” he sneered, and Yosuke barely ducked out of the way as Adachi lashed out with his staff. 

Kanji and Chie seemed to have similar ideas, though, also rushing Adachi. Chie gave a loud battle cry and aimed a deadly-looking kick at him, while Kanji came in from the other side, intending to bash into him with one strong shoulder. They both stopped, suddenly, frozen in place as Adachi glowered at them.

“And _you two_,” he grumbled. “How dare you overcome my magic like that. Pathetic worms, all of you!” Chie and Kanji were suddenly thrown back by an unseen force, Chie managing to land on her feet, while Kanji was knocked prone with a pained grunt. 

“Princess, go,” Yosuke turned to Yui and said. 

“But—” she started to protest.

“Get out of here!” he insisted, stepping in front of her and planting his feet as Adachi turned his callous yellow eyes on the two of them. Chie looked like she was readying another attack, and Kanji was struggling to his feet. 

“We just need to get the lamp away from him, right?” Yui asked. Yosuke nodded, eyes not leaving the sorcerer as he raised his staff. “Then I have an idea. Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Yosuke replied. 

“Okay,” she said. Behind Adachi, Chie and Kanji had slowly started to circle him, sizing up their opponent and looking for weaknesses. Yui started to move opposite them, and Yosuke followed suit. Adachi gave a sinister laugh.

“I commend you for your bravery, Princess,” he began, eyes flashing. “Or perhaps you’ve accepted the fact that there is no escaping from me?” 

“Stop this, Adachi,” Yui said, her voice strong and clear. “You may have wished to become the Lord of Inaba, but the people will never follow you.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Princess,” Adachi replied. “I’ll _make_ them follow me if I have to.”

“Why?” Yui demanded. She stopped walking, briefly, to address him. “Why Inaba? What has this town done to you to make you hate it so much?” 

“You’re mistaken,” Adachi replied, frowning. “I _love_ this town, and I want to see it grow and prosper, unlike you and your foolish uncle. I want to see it rise up and conquer, and become the most powerful place in the world!”

“But that isn’t what Inaba _is_,” Yui argued. “That isn’t what we are about, Adachi. Haven’t you learned that in the years you’ve been here?”

“I’ve learned that you and your uncle and your parents are all _fools_,” Adachi spat. “Under my leadership, Inaba will be strong and powerful and revered. And you idiots will be rotting in the dungeons!” 

“Enough!” Yui exclaimed, furious. She lunged at him, sword raised to her shoulder in a striking stance, and Yosuke was momentarily very impressed at her abilities. He saw Chie and Kanji rush in toward the black-haired sorcerer and had to scramble to follow. Adachi parried the sword strike with his staff, shoving Yui away with it before spinning in place and blocking both Chie and Kanji’s unarmed attacks with some kind of shimmering circle of light that appeared out of his staff. Chie’s kick and Kanji’s tackle bounced off of the light like it was a shield. Yosuke rushed in next, leaping at his back in desperation, and was genuinely shocked when his grapple wasn’t blocked or stopped in any way. He quickly lashed one arm around Adachi’s throat, his legs locking around Adachi’s torso. With his free arm he managed to catch the staff as it swung towards him, and as he attempted to wrench the staff away from Adachi’s grasp, he saw Yui moving in from the side. 

“Checkmate,” he said, grinning. Yui slashed with the sword, and Yosuke heard the clatter of the lamp falling to the ground.

“No!” Adachi wheezed out, but Yui was already scooping the lamp off of the ground, and Yosuke was still holding on with all his might, applying as much pressure as he could to Adachi’s windpipe. He suddenly felt his arm start to be forced away, as if something much stronger than him had grabbed him by the wrist and was pulling him. He lost his grip on the staff, too, and his legs were being pulled away in a similar fashion. Even without the lamp the wishes didn’t immediately go away or anything. Yosuke was still _technically_ Prince Kousuke of Hanamura, and so Adachi was still the most powerful sorcerer in the world. Yosuke quickly found himself being held in midair, painfully so, by what felt like invisible ropes around his wrists, ankles, and his neck.

“Give me back the lamp, Princess,” Adachi snarled, voice still sounding rough from Yosuke’s attempt to choke him. “Or I will make this knave’s death a very slow and very painful one.”

“Let him go, you son of a bitch!” he heard Chie cry, and Adachi managed to turn to look just in time to see Chie barrel right into him looking absolutely _furious._ She slammed him to the ground with a knee to his back, managing to grab one wrist and twist it behind him as he started to thrash under her. 

“Hang on!” Yosuke heard from behind him, and someone grabbed his waist and _pulled_, yanking him right out of the air and catching him as he fell out of whatever spell had been holding him in place. He blinked up at Kanji from where the burly man was holding him with one hand under his knees and the other supporting his back.

“Hey, thanks, Kanji...um...can you put me down?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah, sorry!” Kanji blustered, cheeks turning red, and carefully sat Yosuke down on his feet as quickly as possible. A frenzied shout from Adachi and a pained cry from Chie made them both instantly forget about the awkward moment and turn their attention to Chie, who was now being held in the air by what looked like the same invisible ropes.

“Chie!” Yosuke shouted, sprinting toward Adachi, Kanji right behind him. 

“Give me the lamp!” Adachi shouted, furious. Yui was a few feet away, lamp clutched to her chest in one hand and sword in the other, and she looked distraught. 

“Let her go, damn it!” Yosuke cried, rushing at Adachi. He suddenly felt both his feet leave the ground, and to his frustration he was being held in midair again.

“Shit!” Kanji swore, and Yosuke saw him flailing in the air beside him. 

“Give me the lamp, Princess, or I will make their deaths slow and oh so painful,” Adachi threatened. Yui grimaced, bearing her teeth in a snarl, sword still raised and unwavering. She’d have to drop the sword to rub the lamp. Yosuke knew that, she knew that, and Adachi knew that. “Give it to me!” Adachi roared.

“Put them down first,” Yui replied. 

“Give. Me. The. Lamp,” Adachi demanded, stalking toward her with each word. She started to back away at the same pace, sword still out in front of her and eyes never losing their steely resolve. 

“Put them down!” she shouted.

“The lamp!” Adachi responded, starting to sound crazed. He raised his staff and thrust it toward her, and a wall of force lashed out toward her, but instead of throwing her back or lifting her up it just seemed to splash against her, harmless as water. Adachi snarled, frustrated, and instead spun toward where the three of them were still suspended in midair, thrusting the staff in their direction. Yosuke suddenly felt pain the likes of which he’d never experienced before, like every bone in his body was breaking, like every inch of his skin was being pressed against a hot skillet. He cried out in agony.

“Stop it!” he heard Yui cry, but couldn’t see what was going on as he’d involuntarily closed his eyes. There was a sudden clatter of metal on stone.

“Don’t you dare—” he heard Adachi snarl, and the pain stopped immediately.

“Genie, I wish for you to take away Adachi’s powers,” he heard Yui say, and Yosuke’s eyes flew open in shock. 

“No!” Adachi exclaimed, lunging toward her, but it was too late. Rise appeared in a puff of purple smoke right in front of the princess, catching Adachi by both wrists, a look of utter glee on her face. 

“Your wish is my command, Master!” she cheered. Adachi suddenly cried out in pain as sparks flew down his arms and across his body, the magic of the wish taking effect. His eyes faded from the glowing gold to their normal black, his clothes reverted back to the normal plain black robes, and Yosuke, Chie and Kanji all fell gently out of the air and onto their feet. Rise shoved Adachi back by her hold on his wrists and he stumbled back, landing in a heap on the roof. 

“Checkmate, dirt bag,” Rise said, folding her arms. Adachi glared up at them, utter hatred on his face. Then, something peculiar happened. The glare morphed into a look of utter terror, Adachi going pale in an instant, clutching at his head with a pained cry. Rise and Yui jumped back, alarmed, and Yosuke rushed over to them, Chie and Kanji right behind him. 

“No, no, please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Adachi gasped out, shaking his head.

“What is—” Yosuke started to ask, but then Adachi abruptly started to laugh, and everyone took another two steps back, this time as a group. Adachi abruptly shot to his feet, hands coming down to rest at his sides, head hung low as he continued to laugh, a chilling, maniacal laugh. He slowly raised his head to look at them, and instead of the golden, shadow-like color his eyes had been before or the black they normally were, his eyes were glowing a truly horrifying, demonic-looking red now. And his expression was gastly, a face-splitting smirk dominating his features. 

“Give me the lamp, Princess,” he said, but even though the voice was his, something about the way he spoke made it seem like it definitely _wasn’t_ him. On instinct, Yosuke moved in front of Yui, relieved to find that Kanji’d had the same response. The two stood practically shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the princess.

“Behind me, Princess,” he heard Chie say, and with a quick glance back he found that Chie had put herself directly behind them, further shielding Yui from whoever or whatever this entity was that was in Adachi’s body. 

“I’ll only ask you nicely one more time, Princess,” Adachi said, his voice distorted and _wrong_. “The lamp?” 

“No,” Yui said, her voice like steel. Adachi laughed again.

“Suit yourself, then,” he said, and raised a hand into the air. Yosuke’s instincts suddenly screamed at him.

“Get back!” he managed to shout, turning and lunging at Chie and Yui, managing to push them both out of the way as a bolt of lightning suddenly shot out of the cloudless sky and struck the roof right where Yui had been standing. The force of it knocked them over with a deafening roar of thunder, the smell of ozone thick in the air. 

“Holy _shit_,” Chie cursed as she jumped to her feet, eyes wide with panic. Yosuke scrambled to stand up as well, glancing over and finding to his relief that Kanji had also managed to dodge the lightning. 

“Genie, the wish, why didn’t it—” Yui demanded, and Yosuke turned to find Rise staring at her own hands in utter confusion.

“It _did_ work, though, I took away his powers! I don’t understand what—” Rise started, but stopped herself mid-sentence and threw herself at Yui, dragging her away, as a ball of fire smashed into the roof, again right where she had been standing, chunks of stone going flying. They turned to find Adachi with his hands up, a similar ball of fire floating over one of his open palms.

“Give me the lamp!” Adachi bellowed, and threw the second fireball at them. This time Yui was prepared for it and dodged away herself. Adachi’s hands suddenly glowed a pale blue, and Yui leapt out of the way as a sudden chill descended on the area and a spike of deadly, sharp ice seemed to suddenly jut out of the roof where she had been standing. 

“He’s targeting Yui!” Kanji stated the obvious. “We’ve gotta stop him! Princess, you run, we’ll hold him off!”

“But—” Yui started to argue, but Chie spoke up this time.

“Kanji’s right. It’s our duty to protect you, Princess!” she said. Yosuke nodded.

“Take the lamp and go, Princess. Whatever happens, we can’t let either of you fall into his hands,” Yosuke added, addressing both Yui and Rise. Yui looked distraught, opening her mouth to start to say something, probably to argue the decision, but stopped herself with a sad shake of her head.

“Be careful,” she said to the three of them. She turned to address Yosuke specifically. “Please.”

“Get ready to run. He’s casting something!” Chie warned, and they all turned to look. This time, a bright green aura was surrounding Adachi, his hair and clothes waving in a sourceless wind on this otherwise still night. He lifted his hands, a chilling smile on his face. A sudden whistling noise from above prompted them all to look up. Above them, a glowing green funnel of wind was rapidly descending from the perfectly cloudless sky.

“A tornado?!” Yui gasped. Yosuke looked around in a panic, but there was nowhere to take shelter up here on the roof, and they were too far away from either set of stairs leading down. Their best option would be to try to get to the raised edge of the roof and try to hold on. He looked back to Adachi, who looked like he was concentrating on the spell, his hands slowly lowering as he literally brought the tornado down on top of them.

“Run, Princess!” he shouted, taking off at a full sprint toward Adachi with the hope that maybe he could interrupt the spell. Adachi was taller and weighed more than Yosuke, but Yosuke had momentum, and he was easily able to throw himself at him and tackle him to the ground. The green energy around him flickered before disappearing and Yosuke looked back, triumphant, only to feel all of the color drain out of his face. The tornado didn’t vanish like he thought it was going to. Instead it slammed down to the surface of the roof with a deafening crack, sending wind and energy in all directions. Everyone on the roof, including himself and Adachi, were thrown away by the wind, slamming into the wall built at the edge of the roof and knocking the air out of their lungs. 

Except for Yui and Rise.

They had been running for one of the sets of stairs, and the wind picked them both up, flinging them into the air. Yosuke struggled to breathe as he watched them both fly over the edge of the castle roof and disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameos this chapter: Kou Ichijo


	18. Chapter 18

It had been a long, trying day for Taro Namatame. Well, really, it had been a long, trying six years for Taro Namatame, but today had been especially long and trying. He’d had to endure complaint after complaint from merchants and his fellow elites alike. “None of these princes will make a suitable Lord,” they complained. “The Princess is too willful, she won’t prioritize our financial interests.” “The Princess is too young to rule.” “We must act before she and her husband-to-be are established.” “We need to revolt.” 

Taro was sick of it. Things were already so prosperous in Inaba, but the elites and merchants just wanted more money! He had accepted the position as their liaison to Lord Dojima because he truly did have their interests at heart, but that had been years ago, before greed had blinded most of his constituents. Now he was just a tired man caught between a rock and a hard place. If the merchants and elites started a revolution the townspeople would surely join, and then he would surely be placed as the new Lord of Inaba, a position he very much did not want to be in. He would be forced to go along with any and all plans that the elders and elite came up with. 

He was being blackmailed — trapped in a loveless marriage, he had made a poor choice to have an affair with another woman, who he was very much in love with. _Had_ been very much in love with. She had unfortunately died earlier in the year. Her death had been investigated, of course, but no suspects had been found, and the case had been ruled as a suicide. The way her corpse had been found, though, hanging off of a roof by one foot... There was no way that had been a suicide, but if he objected too much to the official ruling, he would only draw suspicion to himself. If his affair ever came to light he was in danger of losing his status and his wealth, and tarnishing Mayumi's reputation... 

So he had endured and done his best to diffuse near constant complaints and calls for revolt all day, the complaints only getting worse and worse as the lavish banquet at the castle went on. But eventually the banquet did end, and Taro finally, blessedly got to go home to his admittedly lovely but incredibly cold wife and lay down in his own bed and finally go to sleep. 

A loud crack of thunder woke him up. Disoriented and disgruntled he only had a brief moment to remember that there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when he went to sleep, and then a cold voice invaded his thoughts. All he could see, all he knew after that, was blackness and fog, an eerie yellow fog.

“You’ll do,” the voice said.

* * *

Yu Narukami was airborne for the second time today, but this time under decidedly worse circumstances. The castle was far below him, and he really needed to do _something_, because he was going to start falling very soon. He had the means to turn himself back to normal in his hands _right now_, and he had to live long enough to at least use the lamp. Wait, the lamp! He gripped it tight with one hand, the other rubbing, and he shouted his wish as loud as he could over the roaring and whistling of air around him.

“Genie, save me!” he cried, just as he started to fall toward the ground below. His descent was stopped abruptly by the familiar soft surface of the purple carpet he and Yosuke had flown on earlier. Rise materialized on the carpet beside him in a puff of smoke.

“Are you alright, Princess?” she asked. He grimaced and carefully righted himself, moving so that he was kneeling on the carpet now.

“I think so,” he replied, looking around. He’d been thrown quite a ways away from the castle, where the tornado was still spinning on the rooftop, though it looked like it was quickly losing momentum, thankfully. “We’ve got to get back over and help!”

“No, Yosuke was right, Princess, you need to get away. Whatever Adachi wants the lamp for it _can’t_ be good,” Rise chastised. 

“But I can—” Yu started, but Rise interrupted him.

“Look, I am going to _very generously_ interpret your wish to allow me to help you get somewhere safe, but there are limits to what I can do with my magic. If you go back over there, I can’t help you, and Adachi _will_ get the lamp,” Rise said. 

“I can’t just leave them to die!” Yu snapped, gesturing over to the rooftop. The tornado was gone, but Adachi had stood up and was now swinging his staff at Yosuke, evidently enraged that Yu had escaped and intent on taking it out on him.

“Adachi’s mind control over the guards should be gone now,” Rise explained. “They’ll capture him or drive him away eventually, and—”

“Are you sure about that?!” Yu demanded. “Are you _really_ sure? Because you said you took away his powers, and that clearly didn’t happen! I made a wish… I _wasted_ a wish, and now—” 

Before Yu could continue on his tirade, there was a sudden cracking, splintering noise from the town below, and both Yu and Rise looked down in alarm to see something very, very big emerge from one of the houses they were floating over. It looked like a gigantic bald man with dark skin wearing a long white robe. The roof of the house fell away from the creature as it floated up toward them, spindly arms and legs dangling as it trained its massive yellow eyes on the two of them, an unholy groaning noise coming out of its mouth. Red lines glowed on the dark skin, and then a pair of glowing red wings appeared on its back, and some kind of massive red halo appeared around its head.

“What is _that_?!” Rise asked, sounding horrified. Yu was speechless, watching as the thing rose to the same height they were at. It was easily taller than everything around, barring the mountain. 

“Give me the lamp,” the thing groaned, before suddenly flying in their direction. 

“Hold on!” Rise shrieked, grabbing the ends of the carpet. Yu barely had time to lean down and grab onto the carpet with the hand not holding the lamp, and then they were rocketing away from the creature at a dizzying speed. 

* * *

“This is all _your _fault, you damnable thief!” Adachi shrieked, and Yosuke had to throw himself into a tumble to dodge as Adachi tried to bash his head in with his staff. On the plus side he’d stopped using magic, but now he was furious and Yosuke was still unarmed. Yosuke rolled to his feet in time to see Kanji run up behind Adachi and grab his arms, holding the crazed man in place with his superior strength.

“Chie, you got any rope or somethin’?” Kanji grunted as Adachi thrashed around in his grip. 

“I’m fresh out!” Chie called. “Yosuke, you should get away from him, he’s targeting you now!” 

“Right,” Yosuke said, backing away as quickly as he could, adrenaline making his legs shake. 

“Here, help me get the staff away from him,” Kanji requested.

“Damn it, damn you all!” Adachi swore, even as Chie made her way over to him. She was easily able to rip the staff out of his hands, pitching it over the side of the roof. Yosuke kept backing up until his foot hit something and he barely managed not to trip over the sword that Yui had been using. He picked it up. He’d never learned how to use a sword, but it was better than being unarmed, right?

“Ow!” he heard Kanji curse, and saw that Adachi was starting to kick at him. “Fuck! Chie, grab his legs, will ya?”

“What are we gonna do with him, anyway?” she asked as she caught first one leg and then the other, holding them still. 

“Let go of me, you scum! I am the Lord of Inaba!” Adachi swore, struggling uselessly in their grasp.

“You ain’t the Lord of nothin’ right now, pal, and you’re goin’ in the dungeon for sure,” Kanji replied. “Hell, you’ll prob’ly be executed for tryin’ to kill the Princess.”

“Damn you,” Adachi cursed. “And damn you, thief! And damn the Princess and that fool Dojima, and all of you! Bitches and whores, the lot of you!”

“Hey, uh,” Chie started, and something about the way her voice was wavering made Yosuke, Kanji _and_ Adachi all look at her, then at where she was looking. “What’s _that_?” 

“Holy _shit_,” Yosuke swore, hearing his sentiments echoed by Kanji. Adachi started to laugh, but it was clearly nervous laughter and not the crazed, insane laughter from before.

“Oh, that’s _gotta _be her doing,” Adachi said. Chie turned back to him.

“Whose doing? What are you talking about?!” she demanded.

“Why, Izanami, of course,” Adachi replied. Chie looked at Kanji and then Yosuke.

“...who?” the all asked, in unison.

* * *

Not only was the grotesque monster _thing_ chasing them at frightening speeds and wailing for the lamp in the most eerie, unsettling voice Yu had ever heard, but now it was firing beams of energy at them. Luckily Rise was very good at flying the carpet, but Yu knew it would only be a matter of time before they crashed or a beam hit them or the thing caught them. 

“We have to fight it!” Yu insisted, but Rise was having none of it.

“Are you _kidding_?!” she shouted. “Flying away from it is stretching the interpretation of your wish already!” 

“Just use your magic to stop it or something!” Yu cried.

“I can’t! You’d have to use another wish for that!” Rise explained, barely swerving the carpet away from being incinerated by a bolt of energy. 

“Why?!” Yu demanded, and Rise shook her head.

“There are limitations on my magic! I’m sorry!” she explained, swerving away from another bolt. 

“We can’t just keep running away!” Yu exclaimed, exasperated. “It’s going to catch us eventually!”

“Well what do you suggest, Princess?!” Rise snapped, dodging out of the way of yet another beam of energy. “How are we supposed to fight something that big?” Yu looked back at the monster, searching for any kind of weak points, anything… But there was nothing. It was too big to take down with a sword. Only magic could do anything. 

But his wish…

“Hold on!” Rise suddenly screamed, and Yu barely had time to react before the carpet suddenly barreled to the left, narrowly avoiding a beam of light in the process. Another one streaked past them on the right. “It’s shooting too many, I can’t—” A beam of energy hit the carpet, the section just beside Rise disintegrating and sending them into a downward spiral. Rise screamed and Yu held on for dear life, more beams of energy shooting around them as they fell. A huge black hand swooped through the air toward them, but Rise was able to regain enough control of the carpet to dodge that, too.

“Brace for impact!” Rise exclaimed, and the two of them hit the ground a second later. Fortunately, Rise had been able to steer them into a relatively soft patch of earth. Unharmed but shaken, Yu got to his feet, quickly looking around. They’d landed in one of the castle’s gardens. In fact, they weren’t too far from the stairwell that would lead to the roof, a fact that became critically important when a sudden horrid groan filled the air and a bolt of lightning slammed into the tree they had fallen under. Yu ducked down instinctively, looking up to see the horrifying yellow eyes of the creature staring down at him from where it was hovering above.

“Rise?” Yu called, looking around for the genie. The carpet was still there, but she was nowhere to be found.

“I’m in the lamp!” he heard her reply, though her voice didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere in particular. “Just go!” Yu didn’t need to be told twice. He took off at a sprint toward the castle wall.

“Give me the lamp!” the huge creature bellowed, and it started following after him. Another lightning bolt struck, this time right behind him, but Yu kept running, the lamp clutched firmly against his chest. “The lamp!” the creature roared. Yu jumped over a decorative bench, throwing himself through a hedge and hoping for forgiveness from the gardener. 

The stairwell was in sight, but a pillar of fire abruptly erupted right in front of him and he was forced to throw himself to the side to avoid it, tripping in the process and only barely managing to throw himself into a clumsy roll. He was only a few feet away from the entrance to the stairwell. He managed to get to his feet and lunge for the door, another bolt of lightning hitting the ground behind him, the energy throwing him through the door and into the stairwell. He managed to catch himself on the opposite wall, stopping to pull in a couple of desperate breaths before sprinting up the stairwell as fast as he could go.

“Give me the lamp!” the creature roared, and there was a sudden thud on the wall of the castle that shook the entire structure, nearly sending Yu off of his feet. He kept racing upwards even as there was another impact, and then a roar of wordless frustration from the monster. Yu dashed up the stairs and then he was on the roof. He skidded to a halt, sliding about a foot before he was able to completely stop, and surveyed his surroundings. Kanji and Chie were holding a struggling Adachi at bay, Yosuke nearby. All four of them were looking at him in shock. 

“Princess, what—” Yosuke started, but Yu dashed toward him at full speed.

“Take the lamp!” he exclaimed. “Use a wish! Get rid of that thing!”

“The lamp!” Yu heard from behind him, and didn’t even need to look to know that the creature was now behind him. A beam of energy impacted the roof right behind him and he stumbled, and would have fallen Yosuke wasn’t right there to catch him. His momentum nearly sent the two of them toppling over, but fortunately Yosuke was able to keep them steady, arms on Yu’s shoulders. 

“Hold on, Princess, I’ve got you,” he said, and Yu nodded, handing over the lamp.

“Rise, I wish for you to use your magic to destroy this abomination!” Yosuke said as he rubbed the lamp. Rise materialized in front of them with a cheer, magic sparking off of her body as she easily deflected a beam of energy from the creature.

“Finally! I was really getting worried about you guys!” the genie exclaimed. She extended her hands toward the creature and a purple beam of her own energy flew out and slammed into it, knocking it backwards in the air from the impact and seeming to wrap around the creature, encasing it fully in sparkling purple energy. Then with a puff of smoke, the creature was gone, and floating in its place was a middle-aged, brown haired man that Yu was rather familiar with: Taro Namatame. He floated in place inside the purple energy for a few seconds before abruptly falling.

“Whoa!” Rise exclaimed, and at the last second before impact, the man’s body stopped and gently touched down. “Wasn’t expecting there to be a guy, what the heck?!”

“Who…?” Yosuke asked.

“That’s Taro Namatame,” Yu answered. “But what on earth? Why was he—” The man groaned and sat up. Yu approached him slowly, Yosuke and Rise in tow. 

“What happened?” Namatame asked, looking around in shock. “Why am I— Princess Yui? What are you doing here?” 

“Are you okay, Mr. Namatame?” Yu asked. Namatame blinked up at him.

“I think so, but what am I doing on the… on the castle roof? The last thing I remember was going to sleep in my bed and I—” His eyes suddenly widened. “Watch out! Behind you!” Yu turned just in time to see Adachi, looking furious and desperate, lock an arm around Yosuke’s neck and reach for the lamp with the other. Yosuke gasped in shock, dropping the lamp and reaching for the arm around his throat. Yu dove for the lamp, but Adachi was faster, throwing Yosuke to the side and snatching up the lamp from the ground. 

“No!” Yu exclaimed, managing to grab the lamp and trying to rip it from his grasp, but he was too late. Adachi’s eyes flickered red, and a sudden wave of force threw Yu backwards, hitting the roof of the castle with enough impact to force the air out of his lungs.

“Genie of the lamp,” Adachi’s voice said, eyes flaring with red light, a crazed, triumphant smirk on his face. “I wish for you to free Izanami from where she is imprisoned, below Mt. Inaba!”

Rise appeared before him, and though her back was to Yu, he could see it in her posture that she did not want to grant this wish. 

“Your wish is my command, master,” she said. A purple glow surrounded her and she rose up off of the roof, floating higher and higher into the air. Five bolts of the red lightning suddenly shot down from the sky, impacting in a pentagon around the castle. Everything went still and silent, and then abruptly the ground began to shake. It was a small tremor at first, getting progressively bigger and bigger. There was the sound of an impossibly huge impact, and then another and another, and Yu struggled to sit up and look in the direction of the noises. He blinked and stared, his brain unable to comprehend what he was seeing for a few moments. 

Mt. Inaba was _gone_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New cameos this week: Taro Namatame, Kunino-sagiri


	19. Chapter 19

Deep, deep underground, bound by chains of holy magic and encased in stone, Izanami’s consciousness retreated from the mind of Tohru Adachi as she felt the magic of the wish taking effect. The holy chains snapped and disappeared, allowing her to move once again. And move she did, dislodging miles and miles of stone as she uncurled her body and began to rise up to her full height. At last, at long last, she would be free to walk the Earth once again in her true body! She could rend and break and destroy as much as she wished, as many as she wished, and she would take her rightful place as the revered and feared Goddess she was always meant to be! She felt a laugh bubble up in her chest, moving through all of her many bones, as she rose up, reaching up with her many hands and beginning to pull herself out of the ground, out of the grave her foolish husband had for so long bound her into. The mountain that had been her grave marker toppled as she rose, pulling herself fully out of the earth and towering above the city that had been built at its base. She had broken free without the Wild Card. No longer was she bound by the divine chains. No-one could stop her now.

* * *

The lamp tumbled out of Tohru’s hands and clattered to the ground as he stared up in awe and horror at the monster he had just unleashed with his wish. He felt terribly and horribly frightened, but strangely relieved. For the first time in six long, long years the presence of the cold woman was completely gone from his mind, her voice completely quiet. As he heard the creature start to shriek her horrible laughter, he found himself laughing too.

“I did it, Izanami!” he shouted up at the terrible form looming over Inaba, standing in the rubble of Mt. Inaba. “I did as you asked!” He felt utterly terrified when the creature turned toward him, horrifying yellow eyes shining through the night toward him. 

“And for that, you wish to be rewarded?” the creature asked, and it was so bizarre, so _unnatural_ to hear her voice outside of his head. He trembled, but answered honestly.

“Yes,” he called. He could hear panicked murmuring from the others on the roof, the bratty princess, the damned thief, the guards, the genie, but he ignored them. He could only focus on the gigantic form of the monster as she took a few gigantic, awful steps toward the castle. Toward _him_. She fell to her knees, several of her awful arms impacting the castle with sickening cracks, bending down and bringing the top of her form, the human-sized body, toward him. He barely resisted the urge to back up, to turn away and flee, standing his ground as she leaned in so that she was face-to-face with him. Up close she was even more horrifying, her skin the horrible red of exposed meat, her eyes nothing more than two orbs of solid yellow light, her mouth just a gaping void with no teeth or lips. She looked like a corpse, a rotting corpse, and Tohru couldn’t suppress the violent shivers that wracked his body as she closed in on him.

“What do you wish for, Tohru Adachi, my loyal subject?” she asked, though her mouth didn’t actually move. What looked like miles of black hair were whipping around behind her despite the fact that there was no wind on this night.

“Power,” Tohru managed to reply, though his teeth were starting to chatter. Izanami laughed, a cold, bitter sound.

“For helping me escape my grave,” Izanami said, “you shall have all the power you could ever wish for.” Without warning her hands shot to up to grab the sides of his face, and she pulled him into a horrifying, painful kiss. He struggled on instinct, but her grip was unrelenting, and Tohru felt his consciousness fading. Soon, all he could see, all he could feel, all that he knew, was darkness and an eerie yellow fog.

* * *

For all of Yu’s life, the name “Izanami” had always been spoken in hushed, frightened whispers, in conversations that Yu was sure he wasn’t meant to be overhearing. “She” was a great and powerful and terrible being, he had learned from those hushed conversations he wasn’t supposed to hear, from books he wasn’t supposed to read. A fallen angel, some said. A devil, according to others. An angry old god, chained up below Mt. Inaba; a wrathful spirit. A punishment for the wrongs of mankind. A burden. The books described her as a wraith with red skin and black hair, a terrible being sealed away for the good of the world.

None of those hushed conversations or old books could have possibly prepared him for this moment, seeing the massive, grotesque, bony form rising up out of the earth, toppling Mt. Inaba, looming over the city with only green moonlight to illuminate her awful form. Yu stood, immobilized by terror, as the being grabbed hold of Adachi and transformed him into a horrifying, gigantic eyeball floating in the sky. 

“For helping me escape my grave,” Izanami rasped, and the words were chilling, “you shall have all the power you could ever wish for. Now go, my child, my horrible Ameno-sagiri. Destroy the very town you held dear with your new power.” 

Yu didn’t think it was possible, but the eyeball that had been Adachi looked...hesitant. Remorseful. Afraid.

Sad.

And then it blinked, and a wave of white light shot out of the eye, slamming into the castle roof and sending stone flying, nearly knocking Yu off of his feet in the process. Yu looked up at the eye, at Ameno-sagiri, and saw Izanami rising back to her full, terrifying height behind it, taking a few massive steps back away from the castle. He had never felt more powerless in his entire life. Ameno-sagiri was big, and Izanami even bigger, and they were both unimaginably powerful. There was nothing he could do to stop them. Well… not _nothing_. The lamp was still laying on the roof below where the eye floated.

“We have to get the lamp!” Yu shouted, turning to face Kanji, Chie and Yosuke. 

“But how?” Chie asked. “That eyeball thing is _huge_, we can’t fight it!”

“We should run, Princess,” Yosuke said. He sounded bitter, defeated. 

“To where?” Yu asked. He threw an arm out, gesturing at the town that spread out from the castle in all directions. “No matter where we go, we’ll be chased, and we’ll just be putting innocent people in danger!”

“If we stay here, we are for sure gonna die!” Yosuke argued. Yu turned away from Yosuke with a disgusted sigh, facing the eyeball and Izanami.

“Go if you want to. If my sacrifice can spare even one person’s life, I’ll gladly lay down my own life to protect them. That is my duty to the citizens of Inaba,” Yu said.

“Well said, Princess,” he heard someone say, and turned to find that Namatame had gotten to his feet. “But your sacrifice need not be in vain.” He headed for the stairs.

“Hey! Where the hell are you going?!” Kanji demanded. 

“I can’t be any help here, but I’ll muster the guards and evacuate the city. You have my word, Princess,” Namatame explained. Yu nodded to him, and he vanished down into the stairwell. Yu turned back to the eyeball. 

“Kanji. Chie. Yosuke,” he started. “You don’t have to stay with me. Save yourselves.”

“Oh, _hell_ no!” Kanji exclaimed. He stomped over to stand next to Yu, arms raised and fists clenched. “I’m stayin’ with you to the end, Princess!”

“It’s my duty as a castle guard to protect you,” Chie started, “but it’s my honor as a friend to defend you!” She joined Kanji and Yu, standing on Yu’s left opposite Kanji. Yosuke, looking like he was hesitating with every step, slowly made his way over to the three of them. He held out the katana he’d picked up earlier.

“Me too,” he said. “I’ve got your back, Princess, to the bitter end.” Yu felt his heart swell with affection for the thief, but pushed those feelings aside. He took the blade from Yosuke with a nod. 

“Thank you,” he said. “All of you.” 

“Let’s kick some eyeball ass!” Kanji cheered, running toward Ameno-sagiri with a hand raised above his head. 

“Eyeballs don’t have asses!” Chie called, running after him. Yosuke turned to Yu with a bitter smile.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked. “Let’s go… Partner.” With that he dashed off after the two guards, leaving a momentarily stunned Yu in his wake.

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘partner’?” Yu asked, but predictably got no answer. 

* * *

Yosuke was in over his head, and he knew it. For one, there was a gigantic, horrifying skeleton towering over Inaba, which had risen out of the ground and _dislodged a mountain_. There was also a giant creepy eyeball, which they were now attempting to _fight_. He was also, he concluded, the only actual normal human among the bunch. Kanji was strong, like _ridiculously_ strong. He’d managed to stop the eyeball _entirely_ when it had flown at them. Chie’s kicks were powerful, and that Yosuke was well aware of, but what he _hadn’t_ known was how high she could jump. It was ridiculous! How was she _doing_ that?

And then there was the princess, and she was on a whole other level. Her skills with that sword were no joke. She had clearly been trained in how to use it, probably from a very young age, but she also had the strength and dexterity to actually _use_ the sword as well. And this wasn’t even _her_ sword! Yosuke found himself hoping they got out of this mess just so he could see how deadly she was with a weapon she was familiar with and that was of better quality.

Meanwhile, it seemed like all Yosuke could do was just keep dodging and pulling people out of the way of attacks. Although… well, maybe it was the adrenaline, but it seemed like Yosuke was able to move faster than usual…

He also found that he could tell, almost on instinct, when the floating eyeball was about to attack. He found himself dashing forward and pulling the princess out of the way of a lightning strike.

“Thank you,” she said, before leaping at the eye and slashing at it with her sword. She connected, and the eye looked like it had felt the blow, but also looked like it showed no signs of slowing down.

“Damn it!” Kanji swore. “We makin’ _any_ progress?” 

“It’s too big!” Chie exclaimed, before launching herself into the air and delivering a hard kick to the bottom of the eyeball. 

“We need to get the lamp,” the princess huffed out, frustrated. So far they hadn’t been able to get even anywhere close to where the lamp was still laying. Any time any of them made an attempt at it, the eyeball blasted them away with a wave of white energy. Even Yosuke couldn’t manage to dodge the wave, and while it wasn’t devastating or anything it _did_ hurt, and it _did_ send them flying away from the sheer force of it. 

“Princess, we should run,” Yosuke said. When she turned and gave him a fierce glare, he held up his hands. “Not run _away_,” he clarified. “Maybe we can draw it away from the lamp, distract it long enough for someone to grab it?” 

“That’s not a terrible plan,” she conceded. “Okay. But we should wait for the town to be evacuated. I don’t want to risk the lives of any of the citizens.” 

“What are we supposed to do until then?” Yosuke asked, and Yui raised her sword toward the eyeball. 

“Just keep dodging,” she said. Yosuke sighed.

“I was afraid you’d say that,” he replied. She charged and he charged in right behind her, even though he didn’t have big muscles or deadly kicks or years of training with a blade, or really any weapons at all. The eye shot a beam of light at them, which they easily dodged, and then threw a wave of energy at them, which they endured. Kanji slammed into the eye, Chie bashed it with a kick, and Yui slashed at it with her sword, but although the eye seemed to be feeling pain, nothing was happening. 

And then the chilling voice of the gigantic bone demon lady rang through the night.

“Ameno-sagiri, stop playing with them,” she said. The eyeball turned to look at her, and then turned back to them. It was hard to tell because it was just one gigantic eye, but it looked… regretful? It blinked, and then all of a sudden, Yosuke’s entire world was just nothing but light and pain. Yosuke felt himself go limp and fall to the cold stone of the roof, Yui beside him. He was still alive, still conscious, but couldn’t seem to move. All he could do was watch the eye turn away and aim toward the city, starting to fire a beam of light down onto what was in all likelihood a bunch of defenseless, panicked citizens. But then something extraordinary happened. A gigantic fireball suddenly streaked through the sky and collided with the eye, sending the beam flying harmlessly into the sky instead and knocking the eye several feet away. Then there was a shiny blur, and a gigantic brown bear was leaping up onto the eye. 

A very familiar brown bear.

“Teddie?” Yosuke asked. He felt his muscles protest as he fought to sit up, ears still ringing from the powerful attack that he had managed to somehow survive. He heard someone shout and turned to see the Princess’s handmaiden, Yukiko, dashing toward them. She quickly revealed herself to be the person who had sent the fireball into the eye, to Yosuke’s astonishment, brandishing an ornate red fan and sending another fireball shooting through the air. This time it hit the eyeball right in the iris, and for the first time since he became the giant eyeball, Adachi’s voice was heard in an anguished scream as the eye shut in pain. The bear, which Yosuke was now certain was Teddie, dug its claws into the metallic surface of the eye to hold on as the eye started to thrash around. Well, as much as an eye could thrash, anyway. 

“Are you alright, Yu?” Yukiko was asking, and Yosuke turned to find her helping the princess to her feet. Yui coughed.

“I’ve been better,” she admitted. Yosuke noticed that parts of her hakama were singed and still smoking, which prompted him to look down at his own clothes to find them similarly smoking. He panicked and started vigorously patting at the parts of his clothes that were singed. 

“Hold still,” he heard someone say, and turned to find Naoto standing beside him. Naoto who he hadn’t noticed come onto the roof, hadn’t heard approaching, hadn’t even seen since earlier in the evening at the banquet. He was so surprised that he scrambled up onto to his feet with a yelp. “Oh, I’m so sorry Prince Hanamura, I didn’t mean to startle you! It’s just that part of your hakama is smoking and I was trying to help you put it out.” 

“N-no, it’s fine,” Yosuke wheezed. “By all means.” He turned to find that Naoto had drawn a bow and nocked an arrow. He watched the arrow streak through the air, coming to rest in the exact center of the eye portion of the giant eyeball. Yosuke belatedly realized that it had been charging up another beam attack, but now it definitely wasn’t doing that anymore. With a pained shriek the eyeball tried and failed to close, the arrow stopping it, and then it began to trash even harder. The bear was finally thrown off, tumbling through the air only to land gracefully on the roof, not as a bear but as a short human-looking boy with bright yellow hair.

“Teddie!” Yosuke shouted, and the boy turned to him, excited.

“Yosuke, did you see that?? Wasn’t I cool?!” Teddie asked, beaming at him. Pain and exhaustion momentarily forgotten, Yosuke dashed across the few feet of the roof between them and wrapped him up in a tight hug.

“You dumb bear,” he choked, squeezing his little brother tight against him. “What are you doing here? Where have you been?”

“Hey, hey, hey! I could as you those same questions, Yosuke!” Teddie protested, but he wrapped his arms around Yosuke and squeezed back. “I’ve been hanging out with the princess and Yuki-chan and Nanako-chan! And I’m here to help, you dummy!”

“You shouldn’t be here!” Yosuke admonished, breaking the hug and pushing Teddie back to scold him. “You should get somewhere safe!”

“No way!” Teddie replied. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you or any of these lovely ladies!” A sudden ear-piercing shriek rang out and startled them out of their touching reunion. They turned to see that the eye had managed to dislodge Naoto’s arrow and now looked very, very angry. “And I’m a big strong spirit bear, remember? If anyone should get somewhere safe it’s you, Yosuke!”

Yosuke watched as Yukiko launched another fireball at the eyeball, Chie jumped a frankly impossible distance into the air and kicked it, Kanji grabbed a loose chunk of stone and throw it at the eye, Naoto nocked another arrow and once again sank it directly into the center of the eyeball with deadly aim, and the princess lept and slashed at the underside of the eyeball. 

“Yeah,” he conceded. He was absolutely the only normal human here. “I probably should, but I’m not leaving you or the princess here.” 

“Aww, Yosuke, are you in loooovveeeeee with the princess?” Teddie teased.

“Shut it, bear,” Yosuke grumbled in response. Teddie just giggled, and then turned and leaped at the eye, his form shimmering in mid-air and turning into the large bear as he landed on the surface of the eye. The eye thrashed again as Teddie started tearing into it with his claws and teeth. Wounds were actually starting to become visible on the surface of the eye now, to Yosuke’s astonishment. He also noticed that the eye had drifted several feet away from the lamp as it thrashed around. This was his chance! Without a second thought he dashed for the lamp. He’d have to grab it and get it to someone else — he had to save his third wish to free Rise after all — but if he could just get to it…

“Pathetic,” he heard, the word ringing through the air as he closed in on the lamp. He noticed that the horrifying skeleton demon had lifted one huge bony arm and was pointing it at him, and managed to stop just in time to avoid being encased in a thick pillar of ice, but not to avoid slamming into it. He saw Yui rush past him and rounded the ice pillar after her. She scooped up the lamp, but a wall of energy was headed her way, one that she wouldn’t be able to dodge. With a wordless shout Yosuke threw himself in the way to shield her, back turned to the wave, and prayed that he could survive it. 

It hurt like hell, the force of it nearly throwing him off of his feet but he stood his ground, gritting his teeth as he felt the energy spread across his back, intensely painful to the point that he felt his back go numb almost immediately. 

“Yosuke!” he heard Yui shout in distress. He opened his eyes in time to see the world start to slant to the side, only belatedly realizing that it wasn’t the world that was slanting, but that he was falling, limp as a rag doll. He heard the clatter of steel on stone and instead of falling onto the unforgiving stone of the roof he fell onto something soft but firm as the princess managed to catch him.

“Yosuke!” she was shouting, but it sounded strangely far away, like he was hearing her through a wall or from a great distance, even though she was right there with his head in her lap. “Speak to me! Are you alright?” 

“Don’t worry about me,” he managed to croak out through an uncooperative throat. “The lamp… hurry… the wish…” 

And then, despite how hard he was trying not to, he passed out.

* * *

To say that Yu was in a desperate situation was a massive understatement. He watched Yosuke’s eyes close and panicked, grabbing one of his hands and pressing fingers to his wrist, only to breathe a sigh of relief as he felt a pulse. Yosuke wasn’t dead, just unconscious. 

And Yosuke was right. Yu needed to do _something_ with the lamp and do it quickly, but he was running out of options. He only had one wish left and he wanted to use it on himself, to make his body correct again. But he had to do _something_ about Izanami and Ameno-sagiri! He needed to get the lamp to one of his friends so that they could make the wish, but they were all still fighting Ameno-sagiri, they were too far away. He would either need to take Yosuke’s unconscious body with him or leave him behind, and neither option was great. Yu wasn’t confident that he could even lift Yosuke in the first place, and even if he could, Yosuke’s weight would slow him down way too much. But if he just left Yosuke where he was and he was hit with another attack like the last one, there was a very real chance he would die.

He had no choice. He would have to make the wish himself. If he eventually got the lamp to Yukiko, surely she would use one of her wishes to give him his correct body? He had to trust that she would... 

Izanami raised another one of her grotesque arms and pointed it at him. He was out of time, out of options. He stood up, pushing back bitter tears, and made his wish.

“Rise,” he said, and she appeared before him in a shower of purple smoke as he rubbed the lamp. He only had one wish left, and he had to make it count. If he wished for her to destroy Ameno-sagiri, there would still be Izanami to contend with. If he wished for her to destroy Izanami, Ameno-sagiri would still be there wreaking havoc. He got the sense that he couldn’t wish for both to be destroyed with the same wish. No, he needed a wish that would save them from both, and he had a pretty good idea of how to go about doing it.

“I wish for you to give us, all of us here on the rooftop, the power to defeat Izanami,” he said. Rise’s face lit up.

“What a great wish!” she exclaimed. “Alright, master, your wish is my command!” She raised her hands into the air and purple sparks shot out of her hands. Eight, to be exact. One of the sparks shot down into Yosuke’s unconscious body. Five others streamed away and flew into the others still fighting Ameno-sagiri. A spark shot into Yu, and he suddenly felt different. Powerful. Like someone had taken a key and unlocked something within him that he hadn’t known was there. He could still see the castle roof, the limp form of Yosuke at his feet, Rise smiling in front of him, Izanami in the distance, but there was something else in his vision now. 

Overlayed in front of him was a sort of rift of blue light with a single blue butterfly flying in circles around it. Inside the rift were hundreds if not thousands of figures, a crowd of shapes stretching off into the distance, all facing him, those that had eyes all looking at him, silent and eager and awaiting. But there was one figure that was standing in the front of the crowd, separate from the rest. He was tall and imposing, wearing a long black coat and a metal mask on his face, holding a long, wickedly sharp looking naginata, two golden eyes trained on him from inside the mask. 

A glowing, white card suddenly appeared before Yu, spinning in place just at his eye level, directly between him and the rift. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, reaching up to take the card into his hand and, on pure instinct, crushing it into his fist.

“Persona,” he said. He couldn’t be sure, but he got the sense that the figure in the mask smiled. The rift faded but the figure remained, floating in midair between him and Rise.

“I am thou,” a voice boomed in his head. The voice of the being in front of him. “Thou art I. From the sea of thy soul, I come. I have served thy family for generations, since time immemorial. Speak my name, and I will answer.” 

Yu didn’t know how he knew this being’s name, but he knew. He felt it from deep within his soul, like a long-forgotten memory. He straightened up to his full height and looked the being, the _Persona_, in the eyes.

“Izanagi!”

Light flared around Izanagi and he suddenly streaked through the air, naginata raised above his head, light flashing off of the weapon as he swiftly brought it down onto the black shell of Ameno-sagiri. To Yu’s astonishment, though, Izanagi wasn’t alone. Five other beings were also fighting the eyeball, beings that Yu instinctively knew were other Personas. 

A woman in yellow with long black hair, wearing a pointy helmet, slammed a bladed weapon into the eyeball at the same time that Chie landed a devastating kick. A hulking black Persona wielding what looked like a lightning bolt smashed full-force into the eye while Kanji somehow shot a lighting bolt at it. A graceful-looking pink Persona stood side-by-side with Yukiko, the two of them launching twin fireballs at Ameno-sagiri. A strange-looking metallic red Persona was flying through the air toward the eye, blue cape streaming along behind it, while Teddie was also leaping at the eye, transforming into his spirit bear form. A volley of arrows fired by Naoto streaked through the air and embedded themselves into the eye, and in the blink of an eye a small blue Persona flew in and stabbed a glowing sword into the eye, right in the center of the circle formed by the arrows. 

Yu could only marvel at the power they all wielded now, his friends, his allies, his most trusted companions. This was the power his wish had granted them. The eye was starting to fall now, slowly descending toward the surface of the castle roof. Yu suddenly heard a cough and a groan, and turned to find Yosuke struggling to sit up.

“Yosuke, are you alright?” he asked, rushing over and kneeling down beside him, a hand on his back to help him sit up. He gave another cough.

“Define alright? I’m alive, at least, and— whoa!” he yelped. A glowing card had appeared before him as well. 

“Take it,” Yu instructed. Yosuke looked at him, uncertain. “It’s your power. I made a wish with Rise to give us the power to defeat Izanagi and Ameno-sagiri.” 

“My power?” Yosuke asked, still uncertain, but despite his uncertainty he reached up almost without hesitation and grasped the card. A warm wind suddenly blew over the two of them, and then a Persona was floating in front of Yosuke. It had a black head and a white body with a long red scarf. Yosuke stared up at the being in awe, before starting to try to stand up. Yu helped him, noting with a grimace that the entire back of his hakama top was basically gone, exposing the severe-looking singe marks on the bare skin below. 

“I art thou, thou art I,” Yu heard, but as if it was coming from a great distance away. “From the sea of thy soul, I come. I am the strength of one’s heart made manifest. Speak my name, and I will answer.” 

Yosuke grinned and put a hand on the arm Yu was using to support him with, gently pushing it away. He stepped forward, unsteady but on his own, and looked up at the towering Persona.

“Jiraiya,” he said. Just like with Izanagi, light flared around the newly awakened Persona. Light flared around Yosuke, too, and Yu watched in astonishment as the wounds on his back just… vanished. 

“Whoa!” Yosuke exclaimed, when the light had faded. He looked up at the Persona, Jiraiya, and grinned. “That was amazing! Thanks!” The Persona nodded at him. There was suddenly a deafening crashing noise, and they turned to see the eyeball had fallen to the surface of the castle roof, and appeared to be blinking out of existence. Yosuke turned to Jiraiya and nodded, and the Persona shot through the air and slammed into the massive eyeball. With a mighty groaning noise, the eyeball finally faded out of existence, leaving Adachi laying in the crater. 

“He’s still breathin’,” Kanji called over to them, and despite everything that had happened — Adachi imprisoning his uncle, putting Inaba in danger, trying to kill him — Yu was still a little relieved. He hadn’t wanted him to _die_ per se…

“Pitiful,” the cold voice of Izanami rang out through the air, and Yu whirled around to face her, alarmed that she was now moving back towards them. Her gigantic skeletal legs were crushing down onto houses and buildings, and Yu prayed that they had already been evacuated. “If you want something done right, I guess you just have to do it yourself.” 

“Listen, everyone!” Yu turned to shout to everyone else assembled on the roof. “We have the power to defeat this abomination!”

“We do?” asked Chie. She looked up at the yellow being with the long black hair and pointy helmet, before grinning. “Yeah, I guess we do!” 

“What is that thing, Yu?” Yukiko asked, as the group and their Personas moved to cluster around where Yu and Yosuke were standing.

“‘That is Izanami,” Yu answered, turning to face the skeletal beast. “I don’t know much about her, but I know she was locked away under Mt. Inaba for a long time.”

“I’ve heard of her,” Naoto said. “Some people think she is an ancient goddess who was banished to the Earth and then sealed away inside the mountain.” 

“Well, whatever she is, she’s terrifying!” Teddie piped up. They had all assembled now, lined up with their Personas behind them, facing the towering monstrosity as she made her way closer. Rise, without a Persona of course, was still standing where she had been when Yu made the wish, facing all of them. 

“You all have the power to defeat Izanami,” she said. “But it isn’t a guaranteed win. That isn’t how the wish was phrased, and that isn’t how my magic works.” 

“Thank you, Rise,” Yu said. She nodded in return, and then stepped forward and came to stand beside Yu, facing Izanami as well. Yu blinked at her, and she giggled. 

“Your wish was for everyone on the rooftop to have the power to defeat her,” she pointed out. “And that includes me!” 

“It does?” Yu asked, astonished, and she giggled again, nodding. 

“I’ll do my best!” she said. 

One gigantic, bony hand slammed into the roof of the castle, another slamming down onto the other side, and Izanami loomed over them, grotesque black hair streaming behind her, horrifying golden eyes blazing.

“Be careful, everyone!” Yu shouted. 

“Right!” he heard from everyone else, nearly in unison, and couldn’t help the grin that formed on his face. All at once everyone’s Personas shot through the air from behind them, flying up to take on the fallen, rotting goddess. Yu felt power flowing through his veins and, without questioning it, he put out his hands and directed the power at Izanami, and to his astonishment a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and hit her. Around him his friends were all doing similar things, and the goddess was pelted with balls of fire, shards of ice, gusts of wind, and more lightning bolts. Naoto shot arrow after arrow, her arrows glowing with some kind of holy power, and Rise shot rays of purple energy from her hands, glee all over her face. 

“W-what is this?!” the goddess shrieked, clearly unprepared for the assault she was suddenly under. Bony arms waved through the air, uselessly trying to block attacks or perhaps swat Personas out of the air, but she was unsuccessful in her attempts. “Impossible! No-one but the Wild Card should be able to defeat me!” She shrieked as she was pummeled with a second volley of magic attacks, the Personas slashing and slamming and biting at her. 

“It’s working,” Yu breathed, astonished. They really were winning! Inaba would be saved, and he could put this whole mess behind him, and get his correct body, and—

“Enough!” Izanami suddenly screamed, lashing out at once with all of her unoccupied arms. A wave of black energy flew out from her, forcing the Personas back and deflecting the oncoming attacks. “The time has come for us to end this,” she said. 

Yu suddenly felt _something_ grab his legs and he looked down, letting out a horrified yelp at what he saw. Black hands had come up out of the surface of the roof and were grabbing at his legs; cold, black, inky hands. There were similar shouts and shrieks from all around him, and he looked up to see that the others were also being grabbed by the hands. Worse, they were being _dragged down_ by the hands into some kind of black abyss that had opened up below them. To his own horror he was also slowly sinking into the cold blackness. He dropped his sword and tried to pull himself out, but the black hands had a grip on him that felt impossible to break. 

“Princess!” he heard from his left, and turned to find that, somehow, Yosuke had managed to evade the hands. Yu was sinking fast, nearly up to his waist, but Yosuke grabbed onto the hand that wasn’t holding the lamp and tried to pull him out. “Hold on, I won’t let you go!” 

“Take the lamp!” Yu insisted, shoving it at him. “Wish us out of this!” 

“I-I can’t!” Yosuke replied, gritting his teeth as he pulled.

“Princess, hang on!” he heard, and Rise grabbed the lamp from him, grabbing onto his other arm. Together the two of them managed to pull him out of the blackness and away from the grasp of the hands, but just as Yu found his footing on solid ground again, Yosuke fell backwards. Or, rather, he was pulled backwards by another set of the hands. Before Yu could do anything other than gasp his name, Yosuke had been pulled under by the hands, completely vanishing into the black abyss.

“Watch out!” Rise said, pushing Yu away as more hands reached for him. Yu looked around in horror, seeing that the rest of his friends were vanishing into pools of blackness as well. And then they were all gone. Izanami erupted into horrible, manic laughter, and Yu turned to her, furious.

“Where did they go?!” he demanded. “What did you do to them?!”

“They are on their way to the underworld,” Izanami answered. “And soon, you and all of the rest of the wretched mortals in this town will share the same fate. All the world will eventually share the same fate!” She stopped to laugh again. “You will all spend eternity inside the cage you all sought to keep me in. Suffering forever in the darkness, as I suffered!”

Yu felt the cold hands grasp at him again. He looked at Rise, who had moved to help him.

“Don’t,” he said, shaking his head sadly. “You’ve already done so much, Rise. You should take the lamp and run. If you go now, you might be able to find someone else that can wish her away.” Rise looked horrified as Yu felt himself start to sink down into the abyss. “If you get the chance, can you look for my sister, Nanako? You met her at the banquet, she’s the little girl with the pigtails. She’s smart, she’ll know what to do with the lamp, I’m sure.”

“Princess…” Rise choked. Yu felt the arms clamp down on his shoulders, dragging him down faster. 

“I know I don’t have any wishes left, but please…” he managed to say, before the hands pulled him down completely, his vision going dark as he fell, and fell, and fell.

And fell.

And fell.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! I'm still going to try to post the last few chapters on Mondays.

Michiko Narukami was nervous. 

Her husband, it seemed, was too busy to notice, which was honestly a blessing. It wouldn’t do for him to see her looking so unsure — he needed all of the confidence he could get.

Was their plan going to work? Could they really destroy Izanami forever? Kirei was certainly powerful, and Michiko knew her own magical powers were no joke...but this was Izanami. The fallen goddess, the scourge, the devil that her husband’s entire lineage had been tasked with protecting the world against. She would certainly be powerful, and though her husband was confident that they could and would succeed… Michiko was still nervous. So she thought of her son, her wonderful Yu, who looked so much like his father. If they were truly able to win, to destroy Izanami for good, her bright, beautiful son could live without the spectre of her clouding his life like it had his father’s. He could grow up knowing that there was no chance of the goddess breaking free of her bindings and laying waste to Inaba. He could grow into a proud, carefree king. 

Kirei finished lighting the candles and checking the over the runes carved in the stone wall they were facing. They were deep below the castle, which Michiko hoped against hope was as evacuated as they had ordered it to be. She reminded herself, yet again, that her son was safe right now, outside of the city under the care of the Amagi clan. 

She took a deep breath as her husband stepped back, standing beside her as she faced the intricately carved gateway. 

“Are you ready, my queen?” Kirei asked, and if it weren’t for how strained his words were, she may have believed that he was as unaffected by the circumstances as he appeared to be.

“Yes,” she answered, nodding solemnly. 

“You remember the plan?” he asked. She nodded, taking in a deep breath and slowly exhaling. 

“Yes,” she repeated. He nodded and raised one of his hands, palm up. A card made of light floated down to his hand, spinning in midair. With a decisive exhale of air, Kirei Narukami crushed the card in his palm.

“I am Kirei Narukami,” he said, his voice clear and steady. “I am the Wild Card. Throw off your bonds and come forth, Izanami!” 

At once, the runes carved into the wall all flared with deep, unnerving red light, a light that flowed out of the runes and into the carved doorway. The ground began to shake, and Michiko desperately tried to fight off the creeping fear that was starting to descend on her. She managed not to make a noise when very suddenly a grotesque, bony arm shot out of the doorway of red light. A second arm shot out from the opposite side of the portal, both slamming into the stone floor. The arms pulled something through the portal, a black and red shape that Michiko quickly realized was the upper part of the torso of a woman, in shape at least. She had horrifying, rotting red skin and a long mane of stringy black hair. And her eyes were the worst of all, two golden lights sitting inside the blackness of sunken eye cavities. Inside the portal behind her were writhing bony shapes, a form so massive that it couldn’t fit through the portal. The rest of her body, then. They would only be facing a small portion, just as her husband had intended. Good. 

“We meet at last, Wild Card. You are the fifteenth? Sixteenth?” the goddess rasped in a voice that sent chills down Michiko’s spine. She lifted her hands and readied a spell almost out of reflex to hearing the abomination.

“Seventeenth,” Kirei corrected her. He lifted the sword that he had been holding, brandishing it at her. “And the last Wild Card you will ever speak to.”

“A bold threat, Wild Card,” the goddess replied, erupting into a horrifying peal of laughter. “Come, then. Fight me if you desire your own destruction so earnestly.”

“Izanagi!” Kirei called. The air in front of him shimmered, and the guardian of the Narukami line, of Inaba itself, appeared in front of him. Michiko had never actually seen the Persona, only heard about him indirectly. Speaking directly about the deity was forbidden, as were written accounts and certainly drawings of him. It was believed that if her husband was mentioned too often, Izanami would become enraged and be more likely to break the bonds holding her in place.

And with good reason, it seemed. As soon as the tall, imposing Persona appeared, Izanami let out a ghastly shriek, eyes burning yellow.

“You traitor!” she bellowed, lifting one of her huge bony hands off of the ground, only to start to list to the side and slam it back down into the ground with a growl of frustrated fury. 

“Michiko,” she heard her husband say, and nodded.

“Hamaon!” she commanded, letting her magic flow through her and out of her outstretched hands. Bands of light streaked through the air and wrapped around the goddess. Izanami screamed when they touched her, and Michiko could both see and smell her rotting skin start to sizzle at the touch of the magical bonds. This spell would have killed anything mortal, but to the goddess it was merely very painful. Michiko concentrated and the bands wound around Izanami’s smaller, human-sized form, binding her arms to her torso, covering her eyes, and wrapping around her mouth to prevent her from speaking. It didn’t prevent her from screaming, though, and Michiko went pale at the anguished sound. But she held her ground, holding the spell in place with all her might, as her husband and Izanagi rushed in to defeat the goddess. 

It was the perfect plan — she would hold Izanami in place, and Kirei and Izanagi would behead her, and that would be the end of it. She had been training her whole life for this moment. She had been chosen specifically to be Kirei’s wife because she was a master of this spell. She had killed countless people and animals practicing for just this moment.

And she failed.

Izanami was far more powerful than she could have ever imagined. She felt the goddess writhe, felt the magical bonds start to be pushed away. 

“Stop!” she shouted, trying desperately to warn her husband, but it was too late. Just as he reached Izanami and raised his sword to behead her, Izanagi on the other side of her bound form, the goddess threw off the spell with a wave of dark energy. Kirei and Izanagi were thrown backwards by the energy, and Michiko was momentarily stunned, her spell that should have been impossible to break shattering like it was nothing. A moment was all it took. Michiko saw Izanami point at her, saw the spell roar to life, but she couldn’t move. A beam of energy slammed into her, piercing right through her side. It would have pierced through her heart had Izanagi not managed to fly over to her and attempt to push her out of the way.

Michiko fell to the cavern floor, clutching her side and staring up at Izanami with wide eyes. She didn’t have the energy for another spell, and even if she did… it would be useless. 

“Michiko!” she heard her husband shout, and there was a clattering of footsteps on the cave floor, but she couldn’t turn to watch her husband run to her side. Izanami had looked over at her and locked eyes with her, and Michiko couldn’t seem to look away from those awful golden orbs.

“A good attempt, girl,” the goddess rasped. “The best I’ve ever seen.” She laughed, and it sounded cruel and awful. “Out of respect, I almost think I could spare your little town.”

Almost?

The goddess roared, and two more of those gigantic, awful hands came through the portal. Beams of energy shot out of them, hitting the opposite wall of the cave and, rather than stopping, they just shot _through_ it, burning away miles and miles of stone as they went, like it was merely paper. Even from Michiko’s vantage point, she could suddenly see the night sky, moonlight streaming into the cave. Undoubtedly, part of the town was now in ruins. 

Kirei’s face came into her vision now, blocking her view of the abrupt hole in the cave, and she blinked, startled. For the first time in their long marriage, Kirei was looking at her with _love_ in his eyes. Fear, yes, and anguish, but also love. 

“Michiko,” he said, and his voice was so strained, so full of love, so full of despair. “I’m so sorry, I should have never—” Izanami roared again, and Michiko looked past Kirei’s face to see Izanagi furiously slashing with his naginata at the goddess, who easily blocked his attempts. “Please hold on, Michiko. Hold on for Inaba and for Yu. Please.” 

“What are you…?” Michiko managed to ask, but Kirei had already stood and turned to face the goddess. She could only stare up at his back and shoulders as he held his arms out. 

“I am Kirei Narukami!” he shouted. The clashing sounds of Izanagi battling the goddess did not stop. “I am the Wild Card! Let my flesh become the chains that bind you, let my soul become the key that locks the door! Begone, Izanami, and return to your prison!” 

Kirei’s body began to glow, and before Michiko’s eyes he turned into glowing silver dust that swept out, swirling around the goddess before forming into enormous silver chains. Shackles snapped in place around Izanami’s wrists, neck, and torso, and she shrieked in rage as she was swiftly pulled back through the portal. The red light disappeared and the runes flared with silver energy. Izanagi vanished, and everything was still. And then, sounds started to filter in from the massive hole in the cave.

Screams.

Michiko sat up from where she had fallen, desperately looking around for something, _anything_, that could help her. She clutched her side tight, trying not to think about how much blood she could feel oozing out of the wound, and managed to scoot herself back into one of the walls of the cave. She tried to push herself up, to stand, but her legs gave out on her and she fell back into a seated position. 

The last time Michiko Narukami had cried was at the birth of her son ten years earlier. She and her husband and son had been through hard times, seen terrible things happening, but she had remained stoic, because that was what was expected of the wife of a Lord. 

She cried now. 

Her husband who she had loved dearly and who, it turned out, had also loved her… was gone. Her town was in ruins, the citizens screaming out for help, help that she could not give. Help that she would never be able to give, because she would die here, too, just as her husband had. She cried for her son, who she would never see again, who would have to grow up without parents to guide him. She cried for his future, because he would surely have to face Izanami, and surely he would have to give up his life to chain her, just as Kirei had. Yu would never be safe from her. 

“For whom do you cry, Michiko Narukami?” she heard someone say, and her head snapped up, fear and hope in equal measure, to see a woman standing before her. She had white hair that was practically glowing in the moonlight, and was dressed in strange garments of the deepest blue Michiko had ever seen. She had yellow eyes, and Michiko couldn’t help thinking of the contrast with Izanami’s grotesque yellow eyes — these were warm and kind instead. This woman was here to help her.

“I cry for my husband,” Michiko said, surprised at how steady her voice was. “I cry for Inaba. I cry for my son.”

“But not for yourself?” the woman asked. Michiko shook her head.

“I would gladly give my life for my city, for my son,” she answered. The woman nodded.

“A fine answer,” she said. 

“Who are you?” Michiko asked. The woman was merely standing before her, not trying to help her to her feet. 

“I am Margaret,” the woman answered. “I am one who wields power.” 

“Margaret,” Michiko said. “Will you...help me?” 

“I will do what I am able to,” Margaret replied. “You are dying, Michiko Narukami. It was your fate to die here. My power cannot change that. But I can grant you a dying wish.” 

“Can you…” Michiko started, then hesitated. “Can you keep my son safe from Izanami?” 

Margaret shook her head, sadly.

“Your husband gave his life to chain Izanami,” Margaret explained. “And now your son is the Wild Card. Nothing will keep him safe from Izanami. Their destinies are intertwined. They have been from the moment he was conceived.” 

“Is there nothing you can do?” Michiko asked. Margaret shook her head again. “Can you make it so that he is no longer the Wild Card?” 

“I cannot. I am afraid it is genetic. All men of the Narukami line are destined to become Wild Cards,” Margaret replied. Michiko’s mind raced: Kirei had an older sister, now married to a Lord in a far-off city. She had not been the Wild Card, though she was born first. 

“If Yu were not a man, would he still be the Wild Card?” Michiko asked. For the first time since her appearance, Margaret displayed what looked to be a true emotion on her face: surprise.

“He would not,” she confirmed. Michiko was starting to feel faint, now, the edges of her vision going dark. She would die soon.

“Then please,” Michiko begged. “Please, to keep him safe from Izanami, and to make sure that she is never set loose again, please turn my son into a woman.” 

“I will do this,” Margaret said. Michiko felt hot tears pour down her face, even as her vision went totally dark. Her son would be safe. He wouldn’t have to sacrifice himself to keep the goddess chained. She knew she was being selfish, knew she was probably dooming Inaba to destruction, but her son would be safe…

She felt a gloved hand touch her face, slide her eyes shut, and she let herself fall asleep, knowing she would never, ever wake up.

* * *

Yu blinked his eyes open and was startled, to say the least, to see the very same woman in front of him that he had just been dreaming of, the woman that had been the last person his mother had seen, if the dream was to be believed.

“You are...Margaret?” he asked, cautiously. A hand flew to his throat as he realized with a start that his voice had been...deep. Much deeper than he was used to it sounding. There was a bump in his throat that hadn’t been there before. Slowly, in disbelief, looked down at himself. He was wearing a white shirt that appeared to be held closed with a row of buttons, some kind of black coat, black trousers, and brown shoes of some kind. He attempted to pull the shirt away from his body, but it was oddly tight, especially in comparison to his normal attire. Instead he patted his chest and confirmed for himself what he was seeing — no breasts. A man’s chest. He reached for the waistband of his pants, but stopped when the woman, who he had totally forgotten about, cleared her throat. 

“Oh!” he exclaimed, looking up at her with a sheepish blush. “S-sorry, I just—” 

“You are in your true body, Yu Narukami. There is no need to check,” she said. 

Yu believed her, but couldn’t resist putting a hand between his legs anyway, just to check. Yep. He was definitely a man now. The woman chuckled at him, and he looked up at her, still kind of in shock.

“But why...why now?” he asked, still surprised by how his voice sounded. It was nothing like he had imagined for the long six years. It was _better_. 

“Surely you have a guess?” Margaret asked. “I showed you your mother’s last memories for a reason.” She leaned down toward him and extended a gloved hand to him, pulling him up to his feet when he took it. 

“I…” Yu started, frowning. “I always thought it was a curse,” he admitted. “But it was really my mother trying to protect me.” 

“And it worked,” Margaret pointed out. “Without a Wild Card, Izanami couldn’t break free of the bonds your father gave his life to put on her. She would have stayed bound until you had a son of your own, if ever.” 

“But then Adachi wished her free,” Yu said. 

“Exactly. Now there is no need for you to be protected from her, and a Wild Card is necessary to save Inaba,” Margaret explained. “So I have restored you to your true body. I sincerely apologize for all of the grief you have faced because I carried out your mother’s last wish.” 

“No, I…” Yu started, trailing off. “I understand why she had that wish. I’m not going to pretend that I enjoyed being a woman for the past six years, but I… I understand.” He turned to look at Margaret now, more critically. “Who are you, by the way? Or, rather, _what_ are you? A genie?”

“Not quite,” Margaret answered. “I have similar powers and similar restrictions on my magic, but I am not a genie. As I told your mother, I am simply one that wields power.”

“Can you…” Yu started, but trailed off. He looked around for the first time, _really_ looked around. The walls were glowing a deep blue color now, the same blue as Margaret’s clothing, but there was no mistaking it — this was the cave his father had summoned Izanami to, the place his mother had died. In fact, he realized with a shudder, he had been sitting slumped against the wall in the _exact_ place she had died. He looked to the place in the cave that Izanami had blasted a hole through, but found only stone and rubble instead of a gaping hole. 

“I brought you here in order to show you the memories of your mother,” Margaret explained. “So that you do not repeat the mistakes of your father.” 

“What about the others?” Yu asked, remembering the horrifying sight of his friends being pulled into the abyss by the black hands, just as he had been. “Where are they?”

“Still in the abyss,” Margaret answered. “I could only intercept you.”

“Are they dead?” Yu asked. Margaret made a humming noise.

“Yes and no,” Margaret answered, after a pause. “They are in limbo. If left in the abyss they will die, and their souls will be trapped forever there. But they can yet be saved.” She met his eyes before continuing. “You can save them. You have that power, Yu Narukami.” 

“Yes,” he answered nodding. He hadn’t had time to really explore it, but since waking up in his correct body he had felt something different about himself, different even from the power his wish had granted him. He thought back to the rows and rows of other Personas he saw behind Izanagi.

“And because of that wish you made, you have the power to defeat Izanami once and for all. I am here now at the behest of my master to give you one final chance,” Margaret said. Yu nodded.

“I won’t waste it,” he said, softly. She nodded and held a hand out toward him.

“Then let’s be off,” she said. He took her hand and let her lead him across the cavern and toward a set of stairs leading up. 

To his surprise, another woman passed them on the stairs, heading down into the cave. She had the same color of hair and eyes as Margaret and wore clothes of deep blue as well.

“Margaret,” the woman acknowledged.

“Elizabeth,” Margaret returned the greeting. “Out meddling in the affairs of your humans, hmm?”

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered, with a grin. “They are doing quite well, sister. In time, they may even be able to stop Nyx once and for all.”

“Good,” Margaret replied. “The master will be pleased.” They nodded to each-other and Margaret started climbing the stairs. Yu looked back at the retreating form of Elizabeth and decided that he didn’t need to know what they had been talking about. After all, he had a goddess to kill, and friends to save.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for missing not one but two weeks of updates (after leaving the story on a cliffhanger, even!) but I got very busy during the holidays. There aren't many chapters left, but I'll be going back to my normal Monday uploading schedule for them until I'm finished. Thank you for sticking with me so far!
> 
> Also this is a Persona 3 chapter, so if you don't care much about those characters, you can safely skip it. That being said, you don't have to know much at all about Persona 3 to understand what happens in this chapter. Hopefully.

A beam of unearthly green moonlight filtered through upended trees and rubble, illuminating one particular pile of rubble, upon which was standing a man. He wasn’t overly tall or imposing, nor dangerous or deadly looking. He wore a pair of plain black hakama pants with a white top, and his black hair was slicked back away from his forehead. The only things that were even a little odd about him were the long yellow scarf around his neck and the pair of bright, bright blue eyes that stared up at the green moon above him. He kept staring up at the moon for a long time, only looking away when he heard people approaching. The people he had been waiting for, for so, so long. It had been so long since they had all been gathered together.

* * *

By the time Akihiko came to his senses, he was already locked in a jail cell and the keys were long gone, a fact that he knew because he vaguely remembered locking _himself_ in the cell and handing the keys to a guard. 

“There you are, Akihiko,” someone said, and he stood up, approaching the bars of the cell. The light in the dungeon was low, as always, only a few sconces placed around the place so that it wasn’t pitch black at night. Even still, he couldn’t mistake the person standing in the cell across from his, arms folded and a relieved look on her face. It was Mitsuru, of course. Nobody else had hair that red or cut such a distinct figure as she did, always standing proud and sure of herself. It was one of the things he respected most about her, the way everything about her from her demeanor to her body language conveyed that she was confident and sure and a true leader.

“Why are you in a prison cell, Mitsuru?” he asked, and she scoffed.

“I could ask you the same question,” she replied. Well, she had him there. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Is that Akihiko I hear?” someone else asked, and it sounded like it came from the cell to his right. From the sound of the voice, it could only be Minako. If both she and Mitsuru were here, undoubtedly most of the rest were too. After all, if anyone from their group was free they would surely be trying to break them all out of jail. 

“Yes, it’s me,” he answered. “Who else is here? What happened?” 

“Minato and Junpei are further down,” Minako sighed. “And so are Yukari and Aigis. I saw Shinji, so I think they got the kid prince and that girl with the blue hair, too.” 

“They?” Akihiko asked.

“Your fellow guards,” Mitsuru answered. “I don’t know what happened to cause them all to suddenly burst into our private rooms and arrest us, but I suspect it was foul play.” Akihiko scowled.

“It was the royal adviser, Adachi,” Akihiko growled. “I didn’t like the guy, but I never thought he’d do something like this…”

“Like what?” Minako asked.

“He used some kind of mind control magic to…” Akihiko trailed off, remembering with alarm that he had been specifically forced to lock up Lord Dojima. “Have you seen Lord Dojima? Is he safe?” 

“I’m here, Captain Sanada,” he heard from further down the hallway. “And I’m as safe as I’ll ever be, locked in the dungeon of my own castle.” 

“My Lord!” Akihiko exclaimed. “I deeply apologize for my transgressions, and I beg your forgiveness, Lord Dojima, I was not in control of my own mind!”

“Calm down, Akihiko,” Mitsuru urged, and Akihiko nearly bit his tongue in his haste to stop his apology. 

“It’s alright, Captain Sanada. I understand what happened,” Lord Dojima said.

“Thank you, my Lord,” Akihiko replied. 

There was a sudden, deafening sound, like a crack of thunder only infinitely louder, and all conversation abruptly ceased. A low rumbling followed the sound, and the ground abruptly began to shake. Akihiko lunged forward to grab the bars of the cell, holding on tight as the floor shook. He heard shouts of alarm from the people in the cells around him as the earthquake went on and on and on, seeming to last forever. Eventually the shaking abruptly stopped, which was weird, because normally the shaking didn’t just _stop_ but gradually faded, meaning that _hadn’t been an earthquake_. 

“What was _that_?!” Minako cried, but Akihiko didn’t know the answer. There was an impossibly loud thudding noise in the distance, audible even through the thick walls of the dungeon, and the ground rumbled, not nearly as violently as before. Then there was another thud and rumble, and then another, and another, each successive thud getting closer and louder, each rumble of the earth getting more and more violent. It sounded and felt almost like something impossibly big was walking in the direction of the dungeon. The direction of the _castle_, Akihiko realized. 

“Something big is coming,” Mitsuru said, confirming Akihiko’s suspicions. There were two deafening thuds from high above them, and it seemed like the whole castle shook in response. The brick wall separating Akihiko’s prison cell from Minako’s started to cave in, and then the bars of the cell started to fall, and Akihiko barely managed to jump backwards quickly enough to avoid them falling on him. He leaned against the back wall to catch his breath for a moment, holding a hand over his nose and mouth to avoid inhaling the dust that had suddenly been kicked up by the tremors. 

“Is everyone alright?” he called out, carefully but quickly moving through the rubble that now littered the cell. 

“Somehow,” Minako answered, from behind him, and he turned to find her carefully navigating the pile of bricks that now stood between her cell and his. 

“I am uninjured,” Mitsuru said, with a sigh. “But it looks like your cell is the only one that collapsed.” 

“Lucky me,” Akihiko deadpanned, stopping and holding a hand out to Minako, to help her through the rest of the rubble. She took his hand with a grateful smile and he looked away, attempting to hide the way he was blushing. He always got like this around her. “A-anyway, I know where the keys are kept. I should be able to get everyone out, assuming I can get to them.” 

Fortunately, the keys were right where he expected them to be, on a hook in the room that the guards used as a break area. He had no problem getting to the keys at all. Unfortunately, though, there was now a large pile of rubble where the stairs leading out of the dungeon should have been. In short order, Akihiko had opened all of the cells and let everyone out, even people he knew were in the dungeon for actual crimes.

“It’s too dangerous for anyone to stay here,” he told one thief, who thanked him profusely for letting him out. “Even criminals.” 

“Uh, how are we gonna _get_ out?” Junpei asked. 

“There is a secret way out,” Akihiko explained. “Assuming it also didn’t collapse, it’s our best way out of here now. Follow me.” 

The secret passage out of the castle was in the back corner of the cell that was furthest from the normal entrance to the prison — the once cell that no prisoners were ever actually put in. Most of the guards didn’t know _why_ no prisoners were ever put in there, just that they weren’t supposed to. Miraculously, the entrance to the tunnel was undamaged, the section of wall hiding it was easily removed as usual, and there didn’t appear to be any damage to the tunnel as far as they could see into it with the sconce that Mitsuru had thought to pull off of the wall. 

“We’ll be in the forest when we get out of the tunnel,” Akihiko warned. “And there may be Shadows around. I’ll be in the front, just in case, but stay on your guard, everyone.” He took the still-burning sconce from Mitsuru and headed into the tunnel, Minako and Minato right behind him.

“I’ll be in the back!” Junpei volunteered. 

There were seventeen of them cramped into that little tunnel, and Akihiko was sure that if he hadn’t been in the front he would have been feeling terribly claustrophobic. He was a bit concerned with the five criminals he had let out of the cells, but he knew that the rest of the group were more than capable of handling themselves if the criminals decided to start anything. 

It wasn’t a very long tunnel, only about a quarter of a mile, and soon enough Akihiko could see the exit, moonlight streaming into the dark tunnel like a beacon. Except, the moonlight was… wrong. It was _green_. 

“That’s not normal,” he said, turning back to the twins, who were right behind him. “Does the moonlight look weird to you?” They shared a glance with each-other and then turned back to Akihiko, nodding.

“Hey! We’ve got a problem back here!” they heard Yukari shout, and turned back in alarm. All five of the criminals were on the ground, unmoving. Yukari was holding a sconce above them as Mitsuru stooped down and appeared to check for a pulse. 

“Are they dead?” Akihiko asked, and Mitsuru shook her head.

“No, just asleep,” she confirmed.

“They just fell asleep all of a sudden?” Minako asked.

“Hey! Lord Dojima’s down too!” came Junpei’s voice from the rear. Alarmed, Akihiko shoved the sconce into Minato’s hands and started to move back in the direction Junpei was, stepping carefully over the sleeping forms of the criminals. Junpei had managed to catch Lord Dojima before he fell, as by the time Akihiko made it, he and Shinjiro were lowering the unconscious Lord carefully to the ground. 

“He’s asleep too?” Akihiko asked, breathless. Shinjiro looked up and nodded.

“He was walkin’ along just fine, and then all of a sudden he started to fall over!” Junpei explained. Shinjiro took the sconce that Lord Dojima had been carrying, holding it aloft. 

“Is he okay?” asked the young prince, Amada. Amada’s dog trotted over to the sleeping Lord and sniffed at him.

“The five criminals and Lord Dojima fell into an immediate state of sleep,” Aigis assessed. “And yet we all remain unaffected.” There was another slamming noise and a slight tremor, but it seemed far away now. It was still enough to worry Akihiko.

“We can’t stay in this tunnel,” he said, stooping down and starting to pick up Lord Dojima. “Can someone give me a hand? I can carry Lord Dojima out of here.” Junpei scrambled to help, and together they managed to get Lord Dojima draped over Akihiko’s back. “We need to get the prisoners out of here, too.” 

“I think I can carry one,” Junpei spoke up. Shinjiro nodded.

“Me too,” he said.

“I am more than capable of carrying two,” Aigis added.

“I’ll get the last one, then,” Minato said, trying to hand his sconce over to his sister, who scoffed at him.

“_I’ll_ get the last one,” she said, pushing up one of her hakama sleeves with a grin. Minato just shook his head at her, a small smile on his face. Working together they managed to carry all of the sleeping people out of the tunnel. They left the prisoners at the cave entrance, hoping that they would be hidden from any wandering Shadows that happened to pass by.

“What should we do now?” Mitsuru asked. 

“It’s not safe to stay out here,” Akihiko said. “We need to get back to the castle, or at least back to Inaba.” 

“I think you’re the only one here that knows the way,” Minako said, and he nodded.

“Here, let me carry Lord Dojima,” Shinjiro offered, and Akihiko gratefully handed his unconscious body over to him, trusting that Shinjiro would take good care of him.

The forest was thick and oddly hard to navigate in the green moonlight, but Akihiko led the way, and it wasn’t long before they started to see the havoc that had been caused by the earlier earthquakes...or whatever they actually were. Trees were toppled over, huge chunks of stone were littered through the forest, and there was debris _everywhere_. They moved through the destruction in silence, Akihiko concentrating on making sure they didn’t get lost.

It was Prince Amada who spoke up first.

“Is anyone else getting a sense of deja-vous?” he asked.

“What do you mean, Ken— Prince Amada?” the blue-haired girl asked him. 

“This green moonlight… I feel like I’ve seen it before. Has anyone else?” he asked. 

Everyone paused at that. Now that he pointed it out… Akihiko _had_ seen green moonlight like this. It had been several years ago, if he remembered correctly. As he thought about it, a memory seemed to almost...dislodge itself in his head and make its way to the forefront of his mind. Like he hadn’t been aware of it before, but now he was. It had been a night like this one with a full moon, and he’d been with Mitsuru and Shinjiro...somewhere. But where? And there had been other people around, too, hadn’t there? A woman with white hair and startling yellow eyes, a young boy, a dog, a girl with blue hair, a pair of twins… wait…

“You were all—” he started, but abruptly cut himself off, as he hadn’t been the only person talking, saying almost those exact words. They all looked at each-other, wide-eyed.

“I knew it,” Minako said, and everyone turned to look at her. She exchanged a cryptic look with Minato, who nodded.

“We were all at a banquet four years ago,” he said, looking at everyone. “Weren’t we?” 

“We were!” Ken exclaimed, looking around excitedly. “I thought all of you looked familiar, but none of you seemed to recognize me, so I…” he trailed off. 

“I remember it too,” Fuuka said, and Akihiko realized with a start that he remembered now, her name _was_ Fuuka, and she had been so much shorter, so much younger back then. They all had, really, but she had looked especially young. He remembered Ken too, and Koromaru. A half-formed memory of the dog fiercely protecting Ken bubbled up in his mind. Protecting him from what? 

“We were fighting something,” Yukari said, looking around at all of them. “What did we fight? And why can’t I remember?” 

“It feels like it’s right there on the tip of my, er, brain,” Junpei added, frowning. 

“We fought against Death,” Aigis spoke up. Everyone turned to look at her, comprehension slowly dawning on all of their faces. Akihiko remembered something big blotting out the moon, something with a horrifying white face and arms and black...wings?

“Not death,” a voice echoed through the forest, startling all of them. They all looked around for the source of the voice, which seemed to be echoing around from every direction. “Not death. Nyx.” 

Minako spotted him first, her eyes going wide as the color drained out of her face.

“Ryoji?” she asked, and as a group everyone turned to her, and then followed where she was looking. At first, Akihiko didn’t recognize who was standing there, but slowly something in his brain seemed to align, and he realized that he had met him once before.

“Ryoji, what are you doing here?” Minato asked, looking just as pale and stricken as his sister. “And where have you been? We looked for you, Ryoji, we—” 

“I have become Nyx’s avatar,” Ryoji interrupted him. “Or, rather, I was _always_ Nyx’s avatar, and she only recently needed me to fill that role again.” Akihiko reflexively went into a defensive stance when the figure leapt down from the pile of rubble he had been standing on, yellow scarf streaming behind him. 

Akihiko had met him once before, he was just now remembering, and it had been at that banquet, the same one he remembered everyone else had been gathered at. He was sure he’d introduced himself as “Pharos” back then, though. He and the twins had become friends very quickly, he remembered. It had been after they’d fought that creature with the white face and the black… were they coffins? Akihiko couldn’t _quite_ remember. 

“What are you talking about?” Minako asked, sounding distraught. “Who is Nyx?”

“She is death,” Ryoji answered, looking up at the moon as he spoke. “She is night. She is the desire for doom all you humans possess.” He looked back at them, speaking directly to Minako. “And I have been sent here tonight, _you all_ have been sent here tonight, because this little town is doomed.”

“Doomed?” Akihiko asked, stepping forward so that he was standing beside the twins. “What do you mean by that? What are you going to do to Inaba?” 

“These fools unleashed a goddess from below the earth,” Ryoji explained, with a shrug. “They are all doomed, and I am merely carrying out their own wishes.”

“Are you saying the people of this city _want_ to die?” Shinjiro asked. “That’s absurd!”

“And what do you mean _we_ were sent here?” Junpei added. “I came here to try to woo the princess, thank you very much!”

“Fate brought all of you together here tonight, just as it did four years ago,” someone else replied, this time from behind the group. Everyone turned to look, startled, Mitsuru reaching for her weapons on reflex. Standing behind them was a woman with short white hair and shockingly yellow eyes, dressed in strange garments of the deepest blue Akihiko had ever seen. He remembered her, vaguely, from his newly re-discovered memories from the banquet four years prior.

“Who are you?” Ken asked, blinking. “Wait, I remember! You were there too, at the banquet!”

“So,” Ryoji said, and Akihiko turned to find him frowning at the newcomer. “Philemon has gotten involved yet again.” 

“My master has always been involved,” the woman replied, walking forward through the group until she was just in front of where Akihiko and the twins were standing, clearly putting herself between them and Ryoji. 

“Your name is Elizabeth, right?” Minato asked her. She looked over her shoulder at him with a grin.

“Oh good, you’re remembering. That will make this so much easier. Yes, Wild Card, I am Elizabeth. Do you remember the contract we made?” she asked.

“Contract?” Minako asked, looking between her brother and the woman. 

“I think so,” Minato replied, with a nod. “It was ten years ago, wasn’t it?” Elizabeth nodded, and Minato continued. “Death came to Arisato. Many of the townsfolk lost their lives, including our parents.” He turned to Minako. “It tried to take you too, but I wouldn’t let it.”

“I…” Minako started, looking stricken. “I don’t remember that. Our parents died in an accident, didn’t they? A fire!”

“A fire is what you saw, but I saw Death,” Minato replied.

“I remember,” Aigis spoke up. Elizabeth looked at her with a nod.

“I expected that you would,” Elizabeth said. 

“I fought against Death,” Aigis continued. “But I couldn’t defeat him. I divided his power in half and sealed the two halves inside of the two of you.”

“What?” Minako asked, but Minato nodded.

“And then, four years ago, Death escaped us,” he said. 

“So we split death into eleven pieces that time,” Elizabeth informed them. “And sealed him inside of all of you, along with the form of Pharos… Or, well, I suppose you go by Ryoji now?” She turned to look at Ryoji, who was standing before them all, motionless. He nodded.

“Is… Is Death still inside of us?” Fuuka asked, sounding a little horrified. Elizabeth nodded.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “But do not be alarmed. Think of yourselves as sandbags keeping the tide at bay.”

“What?” Fuuka asked, but Elizabeth shook her head.

“The ten of you are keeping Death’s full power at bay,” she said. 

“But tonight, Nyx has ordered me to release her by any means necessary,” Ryoji said. “For this town has unleashed its own doom, and the doom of the rest of the world.”

“What do you mean? What did they unleash?” Yukari asked. Ryoji lifted a hand, not toward them but toward the pile of rubble he’d been standing on. A wave of force shot out of his hand and hit the rubble, sending it scattering, and revealing a horrifying sight in the distance. There, looming over the castle and absolutely dwarfing it by comparison, stood a gigantic skeleton monster. 

“That is Izanami, the fallen goddess,” Ryoji explained. “Soon she will drag every citizen of Inaba into the abyss, and then she will not stop until everyone in the world has met the same fate. Nothing can stop her. This will mean the death of the world.” 

“Not quite,” Elizabeth countered. “You’ve forgotten that my Master has gotten involved. Just as with you, a Wild Card can defeat the goddess.”

“Just as with me?” Ryoji laughed. “You really think this motley crew can defeat me? Defeat Death?” 

“I am merely putting forth the possibility,” Elizabeth replied. 

“Preposterous,” Ryoji said. His cheerful demeanor was gone, now, replaced with a hard look. He seemed genuinely angry. “Nyx is inevitable. You might be able to delay her arrival, but you cannot _defeat_ her.” 

“That is not for you to decide, avatar,” Elizabeth said. She brandished the book that Akihiko was just now noticing that she had been carrying, holding it out in front of her and opening it to somewhere in the middle. She suddenly turned to face all of them, her back to Ryoji. 

“Do not be afraid,” she said to all of them. Suddenly her book glowed bright white, and what looked like beams of light shot out of it. Akihiko didn’t even have time to so much as flinch as one of the beams shot straight at him, shooting straight into his forehead. The light blinded him, and something not quite like pain shot through him momentarily. When the light faded, he couldn’t help but notice two things - there was a faint glow around his hands, forming the shape of some kind of strange, round gloves; and a being was standing before him, floating slightly off of the ground. It seemed to be made of metal, with a huge, broad chest and legs that oddly came to a point, red boots and gloves on its hands and feet. One arm was some kind of metal object that ended in a deadly-looking spike. The being had a head with long, long blonde hair and chalky white eyes. He also knew the being’s name was Polydeuces, and that it was the strength of his spirit made manifest — a Persona. _His_ Persona. 

Looking around, he noticed that there were beings in front of everyone else, too, aside from the still unconscious Lord Dojima. Everyone also appeared to be holding weapons made of the same translucent light as the strange gloves on his hands. The twins were holding a naginata and a sword, respectively, and their Personas appeared to also be twins — two beings with strange metallic bodies, one with long red hair and the other with shorter white hair. Yukari held a bow and arrow, and her Persona appeared to be a young, dark-skinned woman riding on the disembodied head of a bull. Junpei held some kind of club, and his Persona was a very pointy black and gold being. Mitsuru still held an actual, physical sword in one hand, and in the other a translucent, glowing sword that was thinner and pointier than her katana. Her Persona appeared to be a tall woman wearing armor, who also brandished two swords. Shinjiro appeared to be holding an axe, and his Persona looked very similar to Akihiko’s own, with the same chalky eyes and blonde hair, and wearing similar armor. Only, the armor was black instead of silver, and the Persona looked to be riding the top half of a horse of some kind. 

Ken’s Persona was a strange metallic being, the upper half of which was made up of a large, circular serrated blade the likes of which Akihiko had never seen. Ken himself was holding a naginata, but it was clear he had never handled a weapon in his life from the way he was brandishing it. In front of Ken, clearly guarding the boy from Ryoji, Koromaru looked as if he was ready to leap into battle at any moment, holding what appeared to be a kunai in his mouth. It should have surprised Akihiko, but it didn’t, that the dog also had a Persona, a large, fierce-looking three-headed dog to be precise. Fuuka was standing nearby, and she didn’t appear to have any weapons. She was, however, standing inside a dome of light, which turned out to be the bottom half of her Persona, a bandaged woman wearing a strange pink dress of some kind. 

By far the biggest difference in their group was Aigis. Her Persona appeared to be a woman wearing a helmet and armor and a strange blue tunic of some kind. Aigis herself, however, looked completely different. Her yukata was gone, and she was wearing skintight glowing white and gold armor instead. It was hard to tell, but it almost looked like she was _made_ of the armor rather than wearing it, but that would be ridiculous.

“That isn’t fair,” Ryoji growled, and Elizabeth turned back to him, looking triumphant. “You can’t just _give_ them their Personas like that!”

“I merely carry out my Master’s will,” Elizabeth said, snapping her book shut. “Humanity is so fragile. They must be given tools to fight back, in order to survive ordeals such as this one.” She gestured to the castle in the distance, and Akihiko couldn’t quite tell what was going on, but it looked like something was fighting the giant skeleton monster. “Whether or not they succeed is up to them." 

“Fine,” Ryoji said, after a long pause. “Fine. I would have preferred not to fight, not to prolong their suffering, but so be it.” 

As he spoke, a black shape rose out of the ground behind Ryoji, featureless and formless aside from a pair of sinister, glowing yellow eyes. As soon as he finished his threat, the form took shape — a sharp white mask, white arms and legs, a dark coat, chains everywhere, and an array of what looked like coffins strapped to its back. Akihiko recognized it as the creature they fought against four years ago, the one they barely managed to fight off. Juxtaposed with the group’s Personas, it was apparent that it, too was a Persona, but that it was a bit more physically there, whatever that meant. 

“Stay on your guard, everyone,” Mitsuru ordered, sheathing her katana and brandishing the ethereal sword instead. The creature seemed to survey them, before leaning back and letting out a deafening roar. It lunged forward so fast that Akihiko nearly couldn’t follow it, moving at impossible speed toward the twins. Fortunately, their Personas were just as fast, meeting the monster in midair and stopping it with their combined strength. Akihiko’s Persona moved in too, bashing into the monster and sending it flying back through the air. 

As if flood gates had been opened by the Persona, everyone else’s Personas jumped into action too, aside from Fuuka’s. Some, like Junpei’s and Shinjiro’s, bashed into the monster. Others, like MItsuru’s and Yukari’s, stayed back and cast spells at the monster instead. The night was light up with flashes of light, the quiet of the forest interrupted by the slams of the Personas as they fought. The clashing Personas almost distracted Akihiko from noticing that Ryoji was doing something. Almost, but he did see him moving away from the fight, walking backwards until he was standing directly in a beam of the green moonlight. 

“Ryoji!” Minako called, sounding concerned, and Akihiko realized that at least she must have noticed also. Ryoji turned to her with a sad smile, shaking his head before turning his face up toward the moon. One second he was standing there, wearing his normal clothes. The next second he was wearing some kind of horrible white mask, a black crown, strange black armor, and seemed to have four gigantic wings. He was holding a sword in one hand, which he brandished at the twins. 

“Get ready, everyone!” Fuuka called from behind them, her voice sounding strangely amplified from inside of her Persona’s protective bubble. “He’s going to attack!” Ryoji made a slashing motion with his sword, and a wave of white force shot out of it, slamming into all of them. It hurt, feeling like being punched but all over. Akihiko watched as both Koromaru and the dog’s Persona lept in front of Ken, managing to shield him from the attack.

“He’s going to attack again!” Fuuka warned. 

“Not on my watch!” Akihiko shouted. He darted forward, closing the distance to Ryoji far more quickly than he thought he should have been able to, throwing his weight behind a punch. Despite the size of his new wings, Ryoji was fast, nimbly dodging out of the way every punch Akihiko threw at him. 

Suddenly, Mitsuru was beside him, stabbing at Ryoji’s new form with her ethereal sword. Ryoji dodged to the right, leaving him open to a punch from Akihiko. Despite them looking like they were made of light, the strange round gloves on his hands were solid, connecting with Ryoji’s torso and protecting his hands from the impact, sending Ryoji stumbling backwards. Mitsuru jabbed with her sword, also connecting with Ryoji’s body. Ryoji grunted in pain, his voice sounding strange and distorted from behind the mask. 

“Mitsuru! Akihiko! Duck!” they heard Yukari shout from behind them, and without thinking twice Akihiko ducked, an arrow made of light flying over his head a moment later, embedding in Ryoji’s armor just above where Mitsuru had stabbed him. There were rapidly approaching footsteps behind him, and then Junpei jumped over him and swung his club at Ryoji, the light weapon connecting with Ryoji’s arm as he raised it to block the strike. Junpei let his momentum carry him past Ryoji instead, landing in a roll and jumping up to his feet a moment later, weapon brandished. Akihiko stood up and readied another punch, but saw Shinji moving in and ducked back away instead, letting Shinji pass him and slam his newly-acquired axe into Ryoji’s form, the axe cleaving through some of the armor and getting embedded in a wing. Ryoji shrieked in pain. 

A small blur of orange fur flew past Akihiko next, and Koromaru sliced through part of Ryoji’s midsection with the kunai in his mouth, flying past Ryoji and landing on all four paws a few feet behind him. Akihiko heard a wordless shout from behind him and turned to see Ken run in and stab at Ryoji with his naginata, missing his torso by a pretty wide margin but managing to stab directly into one of the wings. Ryoji shrieked again in protest. Ken and Shinji backed away, weapons raised, as the group surrounded him. 

A garbled howl pierced through the night, and Akihiko took his eyes off of Ryoji for just a moment, glancing over to see that the white faced monster was in the process of dying, its body slowly drifting apart as the Personas launched attack after attack after attack. 

“Thanatos is dying,” Minato said, and Akihiko barely managed not to jump, because he hadn’t heard him approach, but was now standing almost directly beside him. “You can’t win, Ryoji. Please, please stop this and come home with us.”

“We don’t want to fight you,” Minako said, moving up to stand beside her brother. Despite her words, her naginata was pointed directly at Ryoji, who was now breathing quite heavily, sporting several wounds that were oozing a black substance that was a little too thick to be blood. 

“You cannot avoid death. To live is to die,” Ryoji said, sounding perfectly calm despite all of his wounds. “They are one in the same.”

“Please…” Minako said. 

“Don’t you remember all those peaceful days you spent with us in Arisato?” Minato pleaded. “We can go back to that, Ryoji.”

“We can’t,” Ryoji replied, sadly. “I am Nyx now. There is no longer a distinction to be made between her and myself.” A weak roar sounded, trailing off into a gurgle. Akihiko didn’t need to look to know that the Personas had finished off the black and white monster. 

“He’s charging up for an attack! Watch out!” Fuuka suddenly shouted, and all eyes were on Ryoji as a deep blue aura flared to life around him. He raised his hands toward the moon with a shout and his aura flared brighter. Akihiko started to step forward, ready to throw a volley of punches at him to try to stop him, but the twins were faster. Almost as one unit, Minato and Minako dashed forward, sword and naginata raised in preparation to strike. The two glowing weapons stabbed into and through Ryoji’s armor, Minako’s from right to left and Minato’s from left to right. The aura disappeared instantly, and then a moment later the wings and armor vanished into motes of black light, leaving Ryoji’s normal clothing behind. Ryoji lurched, hands flying to where the naginata and katana were stabbing through him, head bowing. The mask glowed for a second and also disappeared into motes of light. 

When Ryoji raised his face to look at them, Akihiko noticed that the moonlight was no longer that awful green, but back to a normal silver color. Ryoji’s blue eyes were clouded with anguish, but his expression was oddly one of peace.

“Thank you,” he said, dropping his hands to his sides. Minato and Minako let go of their weapons and stepped back, sad expressions on both of their faces, though of course Minako was displaying far more emotion than her brother. “You’ve driven Nyx away for now, but she will be back. I will be back. Prepare for me in ten years time.” He raised his head and addressed all of them, now, instead of just the twins. “Good job.” His body glowed, and then scattered into thousands of motes of light, drifting upward toward the moon in a spiral. It was tragically beautiful, somehow. A moment later, all of the ethereal weapons disappeared into motes of light as well, and everyone turned to their Personas, who were also fading away into the light. Akihiko looked up into the chalky white eyes of Polydeuces, nodding when the Persona nodded at him. It wasn’t long before they were all gone, Personas and weapons and Death alike, and then they were all just standing in a moonlit clearing. 

“Good work, all of you,” Elizabeth said, and they all turned to find her at the edge of the clearing. She was applauding, though the gloves were muffling the noise. “Of course, I knew that you would all survive that encounter. Master is never wrong about these things.” Before anyone could interject she turned and briskly started to walk away, ignoring the twins when they shouted after her. 

“We should… head to the castle, I suppose?” Mitsuru said, after a long pause. 

“What about that giant skeleton, though?” Yukari asked. They all turned to look, only to find that the skeleton was gone.

“What the heck?!” Junpei cried. “Where did it go?”

“I guess someone got rid of it?” Yukari asked.

“It must have been the other Wild Card,” Minato theorized. “Whoever that is.”

“Well, there was still a lot of damage to the castle,” Mitsuru pointed out. 

“What?” came a voice from behind them. Every single one of their group all jumped, startled. Koromaru whipped around with a growl as they all turned to look, all collectively letting out a sigh of relief to discover that it was just Lord Dojima, groggily making his way to his feet with a hand on a tree. Shinjiro had obviously put him down during the fight against the monster and Ryoji.

“Lord Dojima!” Akihiko exclaimed, rushing over to him. 

“Captain Sanada, what the hell happened? We were just in that tunnel, weren’t we? Why are we in the forest now?” Lord Dojima asked, peering around in bewilderment.

“Long story,” Akihiko answered. 

“And what’s this about damage to the castle?” Lord Dojima asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“We’ll explain on the way to the castle,” Akihiko offered. “Can you walk?”

“Yes, I can. Thank you, Captain Sanada,” he replied. Akihiko nodded, standing straight and saluting him.

“Sir,” he said. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more chapter left after this one!

Yu found himself back on the castle roof, green moon high in the sky, with Izanami still looming over the castle. Margaret was standing beside him, book in hand, looking at him in anticipation. 

“Are you prepared, Wild Card?” she asked.

“I am,” he answered. And he was, he felt it as almost an electric current in his body, thrumming over his skin, resonating in his bones. He felt charged, like he could take on the entire world at this moment and win. Margaret nodded, and he turned to fully face Izanami. Rise was still standing where he had left her, lamp in hand, staring at him wide-eyed.

“Are you… Princess Yui?” she asked. 

“I was,” he corrected. There was a rumbling chuckle that filled the air, the sound grating like sandpaper, as Izanami laughed.

“Welcome, Wild Card. Welcome at last, too little, too late,” Izanami said. 

“As long as I’m still alive, it’s not too late,” Yu corrected her. Izanami scoffed.

“Just what do you think you can do alone, Wild Card? Your pathetic father wasn’t alone when he faced me, and even then he still died! Do you intend to try to seal me like he did?” Izanami asked. Yu shook his head.

“No, I intend to destroy you once and for all, rotten goddess,” Yu answered, and Izanami shrieked with laughter.

“Bold words from a doomed prince of a doomed town!” she exclaimed, raising one of her gigantic bony hands into the air. She brought it down toward him with a gleeful cackle, Rise screamed out in protest, and Yu just calmly raised his hand and plucked a glowing card out of thin air, crushing it.

“Izanagi!” he roared. This time, instead of the black-coated Persona he’d seen before, something different appeared. He still looked like Izanagi, but his coat, boots and helmet were all pure white, and he was holding a tremendous blade with a ring of gold at the pommel. The new Persona flew up and easily stopped the gigantic bony fist, throwing it back with a shove and causing Izanami to stumble backwards. The Persona turned to face Yu, and he heard Izanagi’s words ringing in his head.

“Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I come. From the very moment of my emergence, I have been a guiding light to illuminate thy path. I am the original god,” the Persona said, turning and brandishing his weapon at Izanami, who had pulled herself upright with her grip on the castle. “I am Izanagi-no-okami.” With that, the shining white Persona darted through the air, leaving a streak of white light in his wake, and raised his sword to do battle with Izanami. 

“Traitor!” Izanami roared, lifting both her gigantic bone hands and also the hands of her smaller body. Izanagi-no-okami easily dodged around both the spells and punches thrown at him, slamming his sword into her and gouging out huge chunks of bone as he went. The goddess shrieked in pain and protest. Unfortunately, even with this new, much more powerful form, Izanagi was still one being, and Izanami had many hands. He dodged a beam of white light, but couldn’t quite dodge away from the swinging fist coming toward him, the massive bony hand colliding with him and sending him careening into the castle roof. 

Was Izanami truly so powerful that even a god couldn’t defeat her?

“You can’t win this alone, Yu Narukami,” Margaret said, from behind him. He turned to her.

“But my friends were all taken into the abyss,” he protested. “I have to defeat her to get them back, don’t I?” 

“Not necessarily,” said another voice, and he turned to find Rise standing beside him now, lamp still in her hands. He turned to her, intending to ask what she meant, but a light shimmered behind her, and suddenly there was a Persona standing there. She looked like a woman with white skin wearing a long white dress with red stripes. Where her face should have been was some kind of silver plate with two more plates above that one. A long red spike jutted out the back of her head, with yet more of those strange plates attached to it. She was alien, but strangely beautiful, a perfect Persona for a genie. But Rise was a genie. Could she even have a Persona?

“How?” Yu asked, and Rise smiled.

“When you made the wish, you included everyone on the rooftop!” she pointed out. “Including me!” 

“Are you suggesting that we fight Izanami, just the two of us?” Yu asked, looking between her and Margaret. “Or perhaps...can you help us, Margaret?”

“I cannot,” Margaret said.

“And I don’t think Kanzeon can fight,” Rise explained. “But there is something very important she _can_ do.”

“What?” Yu asked. 

“She can help you find the others in the abyss,” Rise explained. Yu blinked, alarmed.

“What do you mean?” he asked. Behind Rise, Izanagi-no-okami had gotten to his feet and was once again fighting against Izanami.

“It’s easier to just do it than to explain it,” Rise admitted, looking sheepish. “Here, close your eyes, and I want you to think about Yukiko. Think about the bond between you two, and what she means to you.”

“Okay,” Yu agreed. He took a deep breath and, against his better judgement, closed his eyes when a literal rotting goddess was fighting mere yards away from him. He tried to put that out of his mind and focused on Yukiko. She was one of his oldest friends and closest companions, one of the few people that had known that he wasn’t really a woman, that he was in the wrong body. One of the handful of people in the castle that knew his real name, one of the few that he had allowed to use his real name when they were alone. She had always been kind and had always cheered him up when he had been depressed. 

He felt warmth surrounding him all of a sudden and opened his eyes. Rise’s Persona, Kanzeon, was glowing, holding some kind of golden crown around Rise’s head, obscuring her eyes. A transparent rift floated in the air between him and Rise, and there were rows and rows of hundreds, maybe thousands of beings once again looking at him. In his mind he began sifting through them, instinctively seeking out the Persona that would help him save Yukiko. A black-haired, black-garbed, pale-skinned female Persona shifted to the forefront of the rift.

“Scathach!” Yu said, and the Persona obeyed his summons, floating toward the rift and extending a hand. Yu extended his hand too, reflexively. The Persona’s hand and his connected with each-other in midair and he reached into the rift, taking her hand and pulling her out. Only, it wasn’t the Persona that came out of the rift, but Yukiko. Instead of her normal attire, she was wearing some kind of red knitted top, a skirt with a black and gray pattern on it, black stockings, strange brown shoes, and a red band in her hair. 

“Yu!” she exclaimed, a gigantic grin on her face. “You did it!” She threw her arms around him, hugging him much more tightly than would normally be appropriate for nobility and a servant, let alone a man and a woman. He hugged her back, happy to have pulled her out of the abyss. She pulled away from him, and there were unshed tears in her eyes.

“Oh, Yu,” she said, grinning despite the tears. “I’m so happy for you! And you look so handsome in your real body!”

“Thanks, Yukiko,” Yu responded, earnestly. She laughed, and then all of a sudden a serious expression darkened her face, and she turned to face Izanami. 

“You need my help against her, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” he answered, and she nodded. A pillar of fire abruptly flared up behind her, and her Persona shimmered to life — only it was different now. Just as Izanagi had transformed, Yukiko’s Persona had as well. Now she took the form of a completely featureless woman made of golden light, a sword in one hand and two massive, charcoal gray shields attached to each wrist, a cloak of gray armor fanning out behind her.

“Hear me, Amaterasu!” Yukiko exclaimed, raising her fan high into the air. The Persona responded, moving with incredible grace and speed through the air and to Izanagi’s side, bashing against Izanami with a shield and slashing with a sword. 

“Who’s next?” Yu turned to Rise and asked. 

“Whoever you want, Yu,” Rise replied, and Yu nodded. He closed his eyes and this time, he focused on Naoto. Out of his friends in the castle, he had known Yukiko the longest, but Naoto was a close second. Naoto was like he had been, a person unfortunate enough to be in the wrong body. Well, not exactly wrong, but not correct, either. Naoto had ambitions that only being born in a man’s body — or pretending to, at least — could achieve. They were kind, and had spent many, many nights helping Yu cope with being a man in a woman’s body. Naoto was one of the precious few people that Yu could truly, truly call a friend. 

Once again, Yu felt warmth wash over him, and opened his eyes to find the rift once again floating in front of him. This time, he found the correct Persona much faster. A strange-looking Persona floated to the front of the crowd inside the rift. It took the form of what looked like two golden angels framing a peculiar black disc with letters on it. 

“Norn!” Each angel extended a hand toward the rift, and not knowing which to reach for he reached for both. Instead of golden hands, Yu grasped onto two small, pale hands and tightened his grip, pulling Naoto out of the rift and back into the real world. They landed on their feet with a surprised gasp, looking up at him with similar wide-eyed wonder to how Yukiko had looked at him. 

Just like with Yukiko, Naoto was wearing garments that they had not been wearing before they were dragged into the abyss. These garments were similar to what Yu himself was wearing, in fact — a black jacket, white shirt, black trousers and brown shoes — but there was a blue hat of some kind on Naoto’s head.

“Yu…?” they asked. Yu nodded, and a rare face-splitting grin morphed their shocked features into happy ones. “Yu! You did it!” Naoto threw their arms around him in a hug, which was even more rare than seeing Naoto smile, to be honest. He returned the hug carefully, and let Naoto step back after only a few seconds, ignoring the blush on their cheeks. 

“But how?” Naoto asked.

“It wasn’t a curse,” Yu explained. “It was the dying wish of my mother, to protect me from Izanami. Now that Izanami has broken loose, I don’t need the protection any more.” He turned to Margaret. “Er, right?”

“That is correct, Wild Card,” she confirmed with a curt nod. Yu nodded back, and turned back to Naoto, who was now looking at Izanami. 

“I guess you need my assistance with her,” Naoto said.

“Please,” Yu asked, and Naoto turned fully to face the goddess.

“Come, Yamato-takeru!” they said. As with Yukiko, a new Persona shimmered to life behind Naoto this time. A Persona with a sharp white helmet appeared, wearing a white coat and dark pants and boots, brandishing a long, wickedly sharp katana. The Persona rocketed away from Naoto, slamming into one of Izanami’s huge bony fists and embedding the sword all the way to the hilt into the bone, before wrenching the sword upward and carving a huge gash. Izanami cried out in pain and hatred.

“You!” she roared, glaring at Yu. “Wild Card!” Yu merely ignored her, trusting the rapidly growing group of Personas to protect him. He closed his eyes again, and this time he chose to focus on Chie. Unlike Yukiko and Naoto, Chie hadn’t known his secret, though she had known him before he had been turned into a woman, so she _should_ have known his secret. He had been content with simply never letting her put two and two together. He had sort of enjoyed the way that she would be totally frank with him about things, in a way that he was sure she wouldn’t have been if he had been in a male body at the time or even if she'd known he was truly male. She was a fierce fighter and a loyal protector, and he was proud to know someone as determined and willful as her. In the rift, a Persona pushed their way to the front. He appeared to be a gray-skinned man covered in bandages with countless swords floating in the space around him. 

“Futsunushi!” Pupil-less red eyes stared at Yu as the Persona reached a gray, bandaged hand out, and again Yu reached out and grasped not the Persona’s hand, but a hand that had helped him up an embarrassing number of times after he had fallen. Usually by tripping over his own, stupidly long garments.

Yu had been expecting Chie to come out wearing different clothes, and he was not disappointed. She was wearing a strange long-sleeved top, the brightest green Yu had ever seen with bright yellow stripes and giant round metal buttons on it. Her skirt was similar to Yukiko’s black and gray one, but instead of leggings she wore tall white socks along with those same brown shoes.

“Whoa,” Chie said, staring up at him in confusion as he pulled her out. “Who are you? You look like Yui… but Yui didn’t have an older brother or something, did he? No way, right?”

“I am Yui,” Yu explained, letting go of her hand once he was sure she was stable on the castle roof. “Or, I _was_ Yui. This is my real body, Chie.” 

“Wow,” she said, looking him up and down, still obviously in shock. “You’re, uh, you’re really hot like this. I mean, I’m not even _into_ guys, but _daaamn_.” 

“Thank you?” Yu replied, managing to successfully smother a laugh at Chie’s bold declaration. Yukiko wasn’t so successful, and he could hear her doubling over in laughter behind him. Chie turned red.

“It’s true though,” she muttered, looking up at him. “Anyway, you need my help, right?” Yu nodded, and she turned away from him to face Izanami. “Alright. Now, Suzuka Gongen!” 

Chie’s new Persona looked similar to her old one, albeit this new one was entirely black and white instead of yellow. She stood tall behind Chie, black skin and white armor and long white hair cutting an impressive figure, glowing red lance in her hands. The Persona shot into the air and came down on Izanami, cleaving through several gigantic bony fingers and sending them crashing down to the castle roof, the goddess shrieking in pain and fury. 

“You cannot defeat me, Wild Card!” Izanami shouted, but Yu had already closed his eyes. With every person rescued, it was getting easier and easier to find the correct Persona and to pull his friends out of the abyss. 

This time, he thought of Kanji. Kanji Tatsumi, a tall, imposing man with a fierce demeanor and a huge heart made of pure gold. Kanji had often sat in with him when he had been forced to learn skills and trades that women typically were responsible for, particularly things like sewing or weaving or cooking. In all the years Yu had known him, he had never been able to determine whether this was a way to make Yu feel less bad about having to learn womens’ work or out of a genuine desire to learn the trades. Either way the two were friends, and Yu treasured Kanji for his soft-heartedness in a world, in a profession, that only seemed to value toughness and masculinity. A purple-skinned male Persona wearing a gigantic, golden horned helmet and a long glowing white cape pushed to the front of the rift. 

“Odin!” With the hand not holding a long, deadly-looking spear, he reached for the rift, and Yu reached out and took not his hand but a similarly large hand, calloused from years of hard work in the service of the Lord of Inaba. Yu was able to haul Kanji through the rift with a little difficulty, and he was pleased to discover that while Kanji was still taller than him, now it was only a height difference of a few inches. Kanji, too, was wearing different clothing. His black jacket, black trousers and brown shoes were similar to Yu’s, though Kanji was wearing the jacket just on his shoulders instead of with his arms in the sleeves. Instead of a white shirt, however, he was wearing a black one with what appeared to be the image of a white skull on the front of it. The biggest difference, however, was undoubtedly Kanji’s hair — instead of the usual black, it was now a shockingly pale yellow, and slicked back away from his face. 

“...Yui?” Kanji asked, after staring at him for more than a few silent moments. Yu couldn’t help his grin.

“I’m Yu now,” he offered, and Kanji grinned.

“I always thought you were too tough and badass to be a girl! N-not that girls ain't tough or anything but...y'know what, never mind,” Kanji fumbled, and Yu chuckled.

“It’s alright, Kanji,” he said. Kanji nodded, looking sheepish, and then he turned away to face Izanami. 

“Right. Prince or Princess, you need my help, right?” he asked. He slammed one fist into an open palm, grinning. “Let’s do this! Crush ‘em, Rokuten Maoh!” 

In place of the hulking black giant of a Persona he’d had before, now standing behind Kanji was a hulking red giant of a Persona. Red and golds crawled up the Persona’s legs and arms and torso, looking like a searing flame, and to complete the look he was even holding a sword that flared out at one end like the start of a wildfire. At Kanji’s behest the Persona surged up into the air, easily clearing the distance to Izanami’s massive form, bashing into another of Izanami’s fists and slamming the sword down onto a huge knuckle, bone splintering everywhere from the impact.

Before Izanami could even say anything, Yu had closed his eyes again. Two people remained that had been taken to the abyss, and Yu knew he was only delaying the inevitable, but instead of Yosuke he focused on Teddie next. He hadn’t known Teddie for long at all, but he had gotten a pretty good grasp of his personality. While he had been rambunctious and flirtatious when Yosuke was around, he had surprised Yu by acting totally different in the days he’d spent in the palace. This had probably been because of Nanako. While he was older than her, Teddie was still probably closer in age to Nanako than to most everyone else. It was difficult to tell, as the boy was actually a magical bear and didn’t really have an age _per se_. Regardless, he and Nanako had become friends almost instantly after they met, and Yu hadn’t seen Nanako as happy as she had been for the past few days in a long, long time. 

A pale, mostly naked male Persona with long flaxen hair and two long horns floated on six gigantic wings to the front of the group of Personas in the rift. 

“Helel!” Without opening its eyes, the Persona reached out one pale hand, and Yu reached out for it, grabbing a smaller hand and pulling Teddie out of the rift. Just like with everyone else, he was wearing something different than the hakama he’d been wearing before. His shirt was similar to Yu’s, but with some added frills on the front and a red flower pinned to one side. He was wearing the same black trousers and brown shoes that Yu, Kanji and Naoto were all wearing. 

Teddie stared up at Yu, blinking in confusion. He looked around with the same exaggerated kind of movements he always seemed to use, turning back to Yu looking perplexed.

“Who are you?” he asked. “Are you the Princess’s long lost twin brother?”

“No, Teddie,” Yu replied with a shake of his head. “I am Yui. This is my true form.”

“Aww, but you were such a babe before!” Teddie pouted. “But if this is how you’re supposed to look, I guess that’s fine. Nanako-chan will be happy to have a big brother now, won’t she?”

“I hope so,” Yu answered with a laugh. Teddie nodded and turned away from him to face Izanami. Just like with the others, energy flared behind him and his Persona appeared. It was similar to the old Persona, but it how had two gigantic metal claws for hands and some kind of huge white tail, and the cape was red now instead of blue. 

“Here goes! Kamui!” Teddie exclaimed, and the Persona launched itself into the air, striking at a bony arm with both gigantic claws. Teddie turned back to him with a grin.

“See that, Sensei? Isn’t my Persona cool?!” Teddie asked. Yu grinned.

“It sure is, Teddie,” he replied. He turned back to Rise, and she nodded at him.

“Just one left,” she said, with a grin. “You can do it!” 

Yu nodded and closed his eyes, but was nearly instantly hit with a wave of anxiety. He’d never gotten the chance to tell Yosuke about the fact that he was a man stuck in a woman’s body. What if Yosuke didn’t like him any more after he found out? What if he hated him, accused him of lying, of leading him on? 

“Focus, Yu,” Rise said, and he took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Right now, none of that mattered. Yosuke was trapped in the abyss and Yu had a way to get him out. He could worry about the rest later. 

Yu had never believed in love in first sight. He’d had crushes on people before, sure, but none of them had felt like the way he felt about Yosuke. He was smart, charming, cunning, nimble, and so, so brave. From the instant Yosuke had saved him in the marketplace he’d been smitten, and had spent far too long trying to talk himself out of his own feelings. Learning to fish, teaching him to read and write, sharing food and drinks with Yosuke and Teddie… those few days had been some of the happiest days of Yu’s life. And the ride on the magic carpet had been thrilling and the most exciting thing Yu had ever done. He was trying so hard not to admit it, but it wasn’t a crush any more — he loved Yosuke. He was _in love_ with Yosuke.

A four armed metallic being stomped to the front of the rift. A metal ring fanned out behind its head, which appeared to be _on fire_, and although there were no discernible eyes, Yu could tell it was looking at him. A disc of metal sat at its waist, also on fire, and two of its massive, armor plated hands reached through the fire and out toward the portal. Yu took a deep breath and spoke the Persona’s name, reaching out toward the rift. 

“Mada!” Yu’s hands clasped not around the sharp, metallic hands of the hulking, fiery Persona, but around Yosuke’s hands, and he pulled him out of the rift. He was dressed similarly to Yu, black jacket closed with golden buttons, a hint of a white shirt underneath, black trousers, brown shoes. He was wearing some strange looking device around his neck: two flat, round orange objects connected by a black band.

Yu held onto Yosuke’s hands for a few seconds longer than he should have before abruptly dropping them and stepping back, a sad smile on his face as he watched Yosuke look at him first in confusion, then in dawning comprehension.

“...Yui?” he asked, and Yu just nodded.

“It’s Yu now,” he admitted, looking down at the stone between them. Yosuke was silent for a long time, before Yu heard him slowly let out a long breath.

“This is how you’re supposed to be, right?” Yosuke asked. Yu nodded, not able to will himself to look up. “And you need my help with this goddess, don’t you?” Yu nodded again. “Then, that’s all I need to know.” Light flared, and Yu looked up to see that Yosuke had turned away from him, toward Izanami, and his Persona was appearing. This new Persona took on the form of a man wearing a top and pants of light blue with bright red gloves and boots and a bright yellow belt. A sharp-looking metallic ring floated around his torso area, and his hair was bright, bright orange and swept up high above his head in what looked like a constant invisible tornado.

“Go! Susano-o!” Yosuke shouted, and the Persona rocketed up into the air, heading straight for Izanami’s smaller body and slamming into it, the ring spinning and tearing into the goddess. She shrieked in pain and frustration. 

“No!” Izanami shrieked, as the rest of the Personas all changed direction and converged on her, slamming and slicing and tearing into the smaller body alongside Susano-o. “No!” 

“It’s over, Izanami,” Yu said, his voice loud and clear and carrying through the still night. 

“I cannot be defeated like this!” Izanami protested. “I will not be defeated like this!” 

Izanagi-no-okami pulled back away from the goddess, flying over and touching down just in front of Yu, sword held high toward the bright green moon above. The rest of the Personas followed suit, each touching down in front of their respective humans (and bear). 

“Be at rest, goddess,” Yu said, raising his own sword and pointing it at her alongside Izanagi. “Your cursed existence ends tonight.” 

“Can you not understand? It is impossible to defeat me!” Izanami swore. “I am a god! I’ll teach you the truth of your minuscule existences!” She threw out her arms, both the massive ones attached to her torso and the ones attached to the smaller body at the top of her form. A wave of energy flew out from her, but the Personas braced against it, blocking the energy from hitting anyone and shrugging it off, harmlessly. 

“I…” Izanami croaked, and she sounded genuinely shocked. “I… I don’t understand! I am a goddess! How can your powers rival mine?!” 

Before Yu could answer, Izanagi lifted his sword again, up to the sky, the tip pointed at the moon. The moon which was now back to the normal silver color. Yu blinked, wondering when he missed the change. Izanagi’s sword began to glow the same silvery color, the glow getting brighter and brighter and the sword seeming to extend into the sky. Seeing the sword, Izanami raised six of her grotesque, bony arms into the air, bringing them in front of her like a shield.

“This is it!” Yosuke shouted, and everyone turned to look at him. “We have to clear the way for the white guy’s sword!”

“Alright! There’s six arms and six of us! Let’s do it!” Chie shouted, pumping her fist into the air. 

“Let’s end this,” Naoto agreed.

“Hell yeah!” Kanji exclaimed. “Let’s kick some ass!”

“I’m ready when you are!” Teddie piped up.

“For Yu!” Yukiko exclaimed, and everyone nodded.

“For Yu!” 

The six Personas rocketed up off of the roof, each streaking up to one of the arms. Some rammed into the hands, some grabbed and pulled them away, some sliced through them at the wrists with little effort.

“It’s working!” Rise exclaimed, still looking through Kanzeon’s visor. “We’re winning!”

“Izanagi!” Yu shouted. The six arms were being held at bay, bent back or destroyed or shoved, and Izanagi now had a clear, unobstructed path to the goddess. He brought the blade down, slamming into her and cleaving straight through her along with part of the castle. Izanami shrieked in pain and fear as the blade sliced cleanly through her. All at once the arms went limp, the Personas releasing their holds and backing away. Izanagi’s blade flickered and then vanished, returning to its normal size in his grasp. 

“Is it over?” Yukiko asked.

“I think so,” Rise replied, sounding nervous. “It’s hard to tell…”

“Children of man… well done,” Izanami’s voice rang out through the still night, as though it was coming from the sky itself and not the horrible, crumpled form of the goddess. The areas around where the blade of moonlight had sliced slowly started to turn into motes of blackness, drifting upward into the sky as though they were black sand in an hourglass that went in reverse. It wasn’t long before the whole body had vanished into the sky, leaving only the gash in the castle and the crushed buildings below as any kind of indication that she had ever been there to begin with. Everyone stood still, holding their breath, as silence descended on the town.

With a shockingly loud thumping noise, Margaret closed her book. Yu jumped and turned to her, startled. 

“You’ve done well, Wild Card. Or, should I say, _former_ Wild Card, now that the goddess has been destroyed for good,” she said. Without giving him time to respond, she continued. “My Master will be very pleased.” She turned toward the nearby set of stairs down from the roof, and without even looking over her shoulder, she said “Farewell, Yu Narukami. Your future is yours to dictate now.”

And with that, she was gone. Yu stared after her for a moment before he turned back to the rest of the group gathered on the rooftop. 

“Thank you all so much for your help,” he began. Then, he noticed something. “Wait… where is Yosuke?”

“He’s right here—” Teddie started, but looked around with a gasp. “Whaat? Yosuke, where did you go?!”

“Rise is gone, too,” Yukiko pointed out.

“Did anyone see them leave?” Chie asked, but everyone shook their heads. 

“You don’t think they got caught up in that big attack?” Naoto asked. 

“I don’t think so,” Kanji replied. “They were standin’ right next to me and I’m alright.” Teddie made an annoyed noise and ran to the edge of the roof, looking around below for a moment before cupping his hands around his mouth and shouting.

“YOSUKEEEE! WHERE DID YOU GOOOOOO?!”

* * *

In the garden just below where Teddie was standing, obscured from the roof by a couple of dense trees, Yosuke held his hands out expectantly, and Rise put the lamp into them. 

“Are you sure?” she asked. “You could use that last wish to change the law to let him marry a prince instead of a princess! Or—”

“It’s alright, Rise,” Yosuke stopped her mid-sentence. “I promised you I’d do this, and I don’t break promises. Well, on purpose anyway.”

“You…” Rise started, and then her eyes started to water. “You really are the best master I’ve ever had!” 

“That means a lot,” Yosuke said, and he genuinely meant it. He took in a deep breath. “Alright. Here goes. Genie Rise, for my third and final wish, I wish for you to be free!”

He’d disobeyed her warning and left the wish intentionally vague. She didn’t seem to mind, as purple sparks shot out of her hands and swirled around her. In the end, the only difference was that her eyes were a shade of brown instead of purple, but everything else about her stayed the same, down to her flashy outfit and ridiculously bouncy pigtails. The lamp didn’t look much different, although the barely unreadable words on the side were now gone. It was, for all intents and purposes, a normal lamp now, and Rise was, perhaps, a normal woman now. Maybe. 

“I think it worked!” Rise crowed. “Oh! Let’s test it! Wish for something!”

“Uh…” Yosuke stammered. “Um. I wish for you to make me some sushi!”

“Make it yourself!” she shouted, grabbing his hands with glee and pulling him into a spin, laughing. Her laughter was contagious, it seemed, and Yosuke couldn’t help laughing too. 

“So, what will you do now?” Yosuke asked, after they finally stopped spinning. 

“Hmm. Stay here, maybe, or go see the world? There’s nothing but possibilities. How about you?” Rise asked. Yosuke sighed.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe I’ll travel too. I think it’ll be too painful for me to stay here, at least for a while.”

“Oh, Yosuke,” Rise replied. “You aren’t even going to try to talk to him?” 

“It won’t do me any good, will it? If he’s a prince, he has to marry a princess. That’s how the stupid law works in this stupid town,” Yosuke replied. “Anyway, I’d better go. It’ll only be harder to leave if he comes looking for me.”

“What about Teddie?” Rise asked. Yosuke shook his head. 

“He seems like he was having a pretty good life here in the castle,” Yosuke replied. “It’s for the best, isn’t it?” Rise bit her lip but didn’t respond. Yosuke shook his head and turned away from her, starting to walk away. “You’re welcome to come with me, if you want to.”

Rise just stood there and watched him, a sad expression on her face, until he walked behind a stone structure in the garden and was gone from her vision. 

“Oh, Yosuke…” she sighed and turned back to the stairs, a determined look on her face. She was going to do everything she could to make things right.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, we're at the final chapter. If you've stuck it out with me so far, thank you so much for reading!

A young silver-haired boy hides quietly in a corner of the castle garden, carefully hidden behind a big rock on one side and a green bush on the other side. His friend has been searching for him for a while now, but they were playing a game, and he had to stay hidden! Oh, but the temptation to look and see where the other boy was… It was too much! The silver haired boy turned around and stood on his tip-toes, barely able to see over the top of the rock. His friend was nowhere to be found, which didn’t make sense to him. He was the one hiding this time, after all!

“Gotcha!” a familiar voice said behind him, and he turned around just in time for his brown-haired companion to burst out of the bush and tackle him to the ground. The two of them shrieked with laughter as they rolled around on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. 

“I win!” the brown-haired boy declared in triumph, sitting on the silver-haired boy’s legs and pinning him to the ground.

“I’ll win next round!” the silver-haired boy protested with a fake pout. The brown-haired boy laughed and got up, helping him to his feet. Thanks to sneaking up on him through the thick leaves of the bush, his hair was even messier than usual. They both had mud and grass stains on their clothing, and though their respective parents would give them an earful about it, at the moment they didn’t care at all. 

“Hey, so, hide and go seek is fun, but wasn’t it boring to just hide there while I look for you?” the brown-haired boy asked. The silver-haired boy shook his head.

“It was fun!” he said. “But if you want to play something different we can.”

“Let’s play tag!” the brown-haired boy exclaimed. He whipped his hand out and gave him a pat on the shoulder, before immediately bolting away toward the more open part of the castle garden with a shout of “You’re it!”

“But that’s not fair! You’re so fast, I’ll never catch you!” the silver-haired boy protested, but ran after his friend anyway. 

The brown-haired boy may have been fast, but the silver-haired boy eventually caught up to him when he started to get tired, grabbing his shoulder with a triumphant “Gotcha!” The two ended up laying down side-by-side on the grass, panting for breath, smiles on their faces.

“Hey, Yu?” the brown-haired boy asked. Yu craned his head to look over at him and gave a nod for him to keep talking. “We’re gonna be friends forever, right?”

“Of course we will, Yosuke,” Yu replied.

“Even when you get married and become the new Lord?” Yosuke asked. Yu frowned.

“Even then. But, ugh, I don’t wanna get married!” Yu protested. Yosuke sat up and stared down at him, surprised.

“Really? Why not?” he asked. Yu stayed laying down, closing his eyes with a frown.

“All the adults are always saying I’m gonna grow up to be handsome and tall and marry a princess. I don’t wanna marry a princess!” he complained. “Girls are gross, always having to wear smelly perfumes and put paint on their faces and stuff. I’d much rather marry a prince than a princess.” 

“What?” Yosuke asked, but he was trying to smother laughter. “Really? Wait, I thought princes had to marry princesses? Can you even do that?” 

Yu let out a long sigh. “I don’t know, but I hope so,” he said. He finally sat up. “I’d much rather ditch all the princesses _and_ princes and marry you instead!” Yosuke laughed.

“You can’t marry me, silly! I’m not even royalty!” he protested. “But if you did, I know just what I’d do! I’d make a law saying people can marry whoever they want! Oh, and I’d make another law that says we get to eat all the sweets we want, and we can stay up as late as we want!” Souji laughed. 

“See! You’re much better than a smelly gross princess!” he replied. Yosuke stood up and held out a hand to Yu, pulling the slightly shorter boy to his feet. 

“Well, even if you do have to marry a smelly gross princess,” Yosuke started, with a mischievous grin, “I wanna be your knight at least! I’ll protect you from assassins and stuff!” 

“How brave of you,” Yu giggled. Yosuke grinned and looked around, spotting a stick laying under a nearby tree, which he ran and grabbed, brandishing it like a sword. 

“If ninjas get into the castle and the guards can’t stop them, I’ll be your last line of defense!” he exclaimed, running over and standing in front of Yu, swinging his stick-sword at invisible ninjas while making exaggerated noises. Yu clapped.

“Oh, you’re showing those ninjas what-for! Good job, Yosuke!” he said, playing along. 

Little did they both know that this day would be the last time the two friends would be allowed to play so freely in the castle garden, and that in ten years’ time they would have both mostly forgotten about each-other. Yosuke would remember that there is a secret entrance to the castle, and that there had been a silver-haired kid he used to play with all the time. He could have sworn it was a boy, but Princess Yui was a girl, right? And Yu would remember a messy brown-haired boy that he wasn’t supposed to play with who would sneak into the garden sometimes. 

* * *

It wasn’t until dawn broke that people started to come out of houses and buildings and everywhere else they had found to hide during the chaotic events of the night. It also wasn’t until dawn broke that the true scale of the destruction caused by Izanami was revealed. The mountain had toppled, breaking into huge pieces of stone as it did, and had carved a wide path through the forest in the direction away from Inaba. There was also a clear trail of destruction from the base of the former mountain to the castle, buildings reduced to rubble, trees snapped like twigs, gigantic skeletal footprints dotting the landscape. The castle itself had withstood an impressive amount of damage, but there were scorch marks and claw marks and just… pieces missing. The fact that Yu had taken on a creature capable of such destruction and _won_ was truly amazing, a sheer testament to his force of will and his strength. His companions were saying so. His uncle was saying so. Townspeople that had watched the fight were saying so. So _why_ were the elders still being so stubborn?!

“The fact remains,” Minami, one of the elders, was saying. Minami had made a fortune as a fish merchant, and felt like that meant his opinion was more valuable than anyone else’s, apparently.. “Prince or princess, god-killer or no, you are still unmarried and therefore you cannot become the new Lord.”

“The _first _Lord of Inaba became the Lord because he sealed Izanami!” argued Taro Namatame, the one elder that actually seemed to be on Yu’s side in this matter. A series of gasps rang out through the crowd, likely in response to him saying her name, something that had been strictly forbidden before. 

“But the law says—” another elder started to argue.

“Alright, that’s _enough_,” Dojima interjected, cutting him off and receiving a stern glare for his troubles, which he ignored. “We have better things to be worried about right now, like the safety of our people, organizing relief efforts, uniting our citizens—”

“And you can do that yourself, Lord Dojima!” Minami insisted. Dojima pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, frustrated. Yu felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Rise beckoning him to lean down so she could tell him something. He and Rise had been the same height when he’d been in the wrong body, so having to lean down so far was something he was still getting used to… but he couldn’t help grinning at the thought. Yet another reminder that he was finally back in his real body after so long.

“I think I found Yosuke,” she whispered. He blinked, confused.

“Genie magic?” he whispered back, and she shook her head.

“No, no, this is left over from your wish, I think. Kanzeon isn’t here physically but I’m still connected to her,” Rise explained. “I can still use her abilities, but they’re not nearly as powerful as when she was actually here… Does that make sense at all?”

“Yes,” Yu confirmed, with a nod. He could still sort of feel the presence of Izanagi, the electric energy given off by the Persona, even if he wasn’t there. “Where is he?”

“Well, that’s the thing, Yu,” Rise began, with a sigh. “He made it pretty far out of the city last night. He’s far away now, and if he keeps going it could take days to reach him, even on horseback. He took the carpet.”

“What?!” Yu exclaimed. “Why did you let him take the carpet?!”

“I didn’t _let_ him do anything!” Rise replied, frustrated. “I didn’t even realize it was still able to fly!” She paused when she realized that the steady stream of arguing from the elders and Lord Dojima had stopped, and had the grace to look embarrassed when she saw that they were all staring at her. Yu turned to them and folded his arms, his stare impassive.

“Well, gentlemen,” Yu started. He turned to face Hisano Kuroda, seemingly the only woman that was allowed to be on the council of elders, giving her a nod. “And ladies. It seems my uncle will continue to be the Lord for at least another day.”

“What do you mean?” Dojima asked, sounding baffled and suspicious. 

“I’ll be leaving on a quick expedition, effective immediately,” Yu explained. “I need to go retrieve my fiancé. It seems that he’s gotten it into his head that I won’t be allowed to marry him, and he has run away.”

There was a beat of silence, before the assembled elders, guards, merchants, and even some of his friends all shouted, in near unison, “HE?!”

“With all due respect,” Yu rebutted, “you have been telling me for nearly six years now that I have to marry a prince. Why change that now?” 

“Preposterous!” Minami blustered. “The law says that a prince must marry a _princess_—” 

“What will the other cities think of us?” another elder shouted.

“This cannot be allowed!” a third elder exclaimed, turning to Dojima. “Lord Dojima, _please_ put a stop to this!”

“Enough!” a clear, loud voice cut through the crowd. She hadn’t shouted, merely raised her voice, but everyone fell silent at hearing Hisano Kuroda raise her voice. She turned to address Yu directly. “You would leave Inaba during a crisis such as this, just to bring back one man?”

“I…” Yu started, suddenly feeling foolish. He felt Rise put a hand on his back, and stood up straight, taking a deep breath and nodding. “Yes. But I will be leaving Inaba in good hands, and I won’t be gone long.”

“This prince, he means that much to you?” Hisano asked.

“He does,” Yu confirmed.

“And you think he will make an honorable ruler of Inaba by your side?” Hisano asked. Yu thought about how Yosuke had grown up in poverty, stealing what he needed to survive… but only taking from those he knew could afford the loss. He thought about how he had taken care of Teddie, about how he had risked his life fighting side-by-side with Yu and the others even though he wasn’t even trained to fight like they were. He thought about how he had used his last wish to set Rise free instead of using it for himself.

“Yes,” Yu finally answered, with a decisive nod. “I think so.”

“Then go on, Yu Narukami,” Hisano answered, her aged face curling up into a smile that made her seem ten years younger. “Go get your man.”

“L-Lady Hisano, surely you—” Minami stammered, and she turned to look at him with her normal dour-looking expression.

“Silence,” she hissed at him. “You need to accept that this young man is the future of Inaba. No matter what you do or how you try to influence things, you cannot stop the forward march of progress.” Everyone was silent at her words, all looking around. Dojima finally broke the silence with an amused chuckle.

“I suppose I can continue to act as the Lord for another day or two,” he said. He turned to Yu with an amused expression on his face. “Go on then, Yu. The Narukami crest will be waiting for you when you return.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” Yu replied. Had they not been in public, he might have hugged the man, but instead he just held out his hand, and Dojima shook it, with a grin. 

“Just don’t take too long. Oh, and take some people with you, the forests around here are dangerous, you know,” Dojima replied.

“I’ll go with you, Yu,” Yukiko was the first to speak up, from where she’d been standing respectfully behind him. All eyes turned to her and she had the grace to look embarrassed, but determined. “You might need a healer, or—”

“Of course you can come, Miss Amagi,” Yu interrupted, trying to remain serious looking and not let his face break out into a grin in response. “Your skills will be most welcome.”

“I’ll go with them too, sir!” Chie piped up from where she had been standing behind them in a cluster of other guards. “Someone’s gotta protect them!”

“Hell yeah, count me in too!” Kanji exclaimed, punching at the air in his enthusiasm. Yu turned and nodded at the two of them, gratefully.

“I’m beary worried about Yosuke!” Teddie exclaimed. “Can I come, too?”

“Of course, Teddie,” Yu replied, nodding at the bear.

“I would like to go along as well,” Naoto said, before looking to Dojima. “Er, if it’s okay for me to leave my post…?”

“Just be prepared for a lot of work when you return,” Dojima addressed all of them. He turned to Naoto. “Especially you, Shirogane. After all, with Adachi in jail, you’ll have to take point when it comes to planning my nephew’s wedding.”

“I…” Naoto stammered, staring up at him in disbelief. “Wait, did you just promote me to royal advisor?!” Dojima nodded, and Naoto looked shocked. 

“If he hadn’t promoted you, I would have,” Yu told Naoto with a cheeky grin. “It’s only natural. And we can discuss the details of the wedding once we’re on the road.”

“If we leave soon, we might catch up to him by nightfall,” Rise informed them. “If we can get enough horses for everyone, that is…”

Finding the horses had been a surprisingly easy endeavor — it seemed that there was no shortage of townsfolk that were ready and willing to help out the saviors of their town. They were quickly outfitted with a wagon, more than enough horses to go around, and even enough supplies for a multi-day journey, should they need them. The sun had barely cleared the tops of the tallest remaining trees when they were finally on their way, heading out of town in the direction that Rise could sense Yosuke was moving toward. Chie and Kanji were just ahead of them on horseback, making sure the road ahead was safe and clear of debris. Naoto was driving the wagon, Yu perched on the bench beside them, with Yukiko, Rise and Teddie in the back of the wagon. The conversation was lively, discussing everything from the hard-fought battle of the previous night to the strange garments they were all still wearing, having left in such a haste that they hadn’t had time to change into more normal clothing. 

“I don’t think it was part of the wish,” Rise said, with a pout. “And I’m kind of jealous I didn’t get my own outfit! Yours and Chie’s are really cute, Yukiko-san.” 

“I think Chie would rather be in her normal uniform,” Yukiko said, with an amused chuckle. “It looks like she’s having a hard time riding her horse in that strange skirt…”

“If they weren’t part of the wish, where do you suppose they came from?” Yu asked, gesturing down to his own strange uniform. “And what is their purpose? They aren’t suitable as armor, that’s for sure.”

“Who knows?” Rise asked, with a shrug. “They do look similar to clothing that teenagers wear in the future in this country, but why you all came out of the abyss wearing them is a mystery that may never be answered.” 

From there, the conversation moved, with excitement, to the inevitable wedding. Yukiko, Rise and Teddie all bandied around tons of ideas about the ceremony, from the decorations to the food to what kind of garments the grooms should wear. Yu occasionally contributed to the conversation, mostly shooting down the more outlandish ideas. 

Naoto admitted that they had been a little stressed about planning the wedding, and the ideas were certainly helping. 

“I really don’t know anything about planning events like this,” they admitted, sheepish. “I’ve learned a lot over the past four years, but only because Adachi foisted a lot of his responsibilities off on me…” Here, Naoto went silent, looking over at Yu with uncertainty. Aside from Naoto themself and Dojima, Yu had probably been the closest to Adachi. “He was lazy, and kind of a pain in the ass sometimes, but it’s still so hard to believe that he could be capable of such things…” 

In the pre-dawn wake of the battle with Izanami, one of the first things that had happened was Adachi’s arrest. He had confessed to not only setting Izanami free, but to many other crimes that he had committed on her behalf — including the cold-blooded murder of two women, Saki Konishi and Mayumi Yamano. He would be tried and punished for his crimes, eventually, but that was very much going to be on the backburner for now, as there were quite a number of things that took priority over that. There was also the fact that the dungeon was in ruins at the moment. 

“It is quite hard to stomach,” Yu eventually replied, with a nod. “But in hindsight, it’s quite clear that he was plotting something this whole time.” He looked over at Naoto with a stoic expression. “But, to be honest, I kind of sympathize with him. Imagine having a voice in your head for six years, promising you power and ordering you around. I think almost anyone would have turned out like him in that circumstance.”

“I’m just glad she’s gone,” Yukiko added, undoubtedly referring to Izanami. “I used to hear all kinds of rumors from people in the palace about her, and about how your parents died, Yu. To think they were all true…” The conversation went silent after that, the only noises being the clop-clop-clopping of the horses’ hooves and the squeaking of the cart’s wheels. 

“Um!” Rise finally exclaimed, and it was clear from the nervous look on her face that she was desperate to break the silence. “If it makes you feel any better, I think Yosuke has slowed down! We might catch up to him if we stay at this pace.”

“How far away is he?” Yu asked. Rise concentrated for a second.

“Still several hours away,” she said, with a dejected sigh. “He’s stopped for the moment, but who knows how long it’ll be before he starts moving again…”

“I wish there was a way we could tell him to stop and wait for us!” Teddie exclaimed, frustrated. “I wish he could hear what we were saying!”

“I wish there was a way too, Teddie,” Rise replied. For a split second, Yu thought he saw a shimmer of light around her, but it could have been his eyes playing tricks on him. Teddie jumped to his feet, frustrated, and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting out into the distance.

“YOOOOOSUKE, STOOOPPP! WAIT FOR US!” He only received disgruntled looks from Chie and Kanji in return, and sat back down with a sad sigh.

“He’ll have to stop and rest at some point,” Yukiko said, trying to reassure him..

“But so will we,” Naoto pointed out. “None of us have slept, and even if that weren’t the case, the horses will need rest, too.”

“And he has that magic carpet, which doesn’t get tired,” Yu added. He huffed out an annoyed breath. “How exactly does that thing work, Rise?”

“It should have stopped working when Yosuke wished me free, to be honest,” she answered. “I don’t know why it’s still working.” There was another long, uncomfortable silence, broken by Yu.

“Maybe…” Yu started, and he was looking away from everyone, pretending to study something far off in the distance. “Maybe we should just let him go.”

“What?” Yukiko asked. Teddie nearly jumped to his feet, but Rise pulled him back down at the last second, causing the cart to rock harmlessly. 

“What makes you say that, Yu?” Naoto asked. 

“If…” Yu started, with a sigh. “If he truly did love me, and not ‘Princess Yui’, wouldn’t he have stayed?” 

“You dummy,” Rise replied, but her voice was fond. “He left because he _does_ love you, and now that you’re a man he thinks you’ll be forced to marry a princess. Which, to be fair, the elders were _pretty_ insistent about.” 

“How do you know for sure?” Yu asked, finally turning to face her. He looked heart-broken but hopeful, the two emotions playing out over his face and in his body language. “Maybe that’s just what he told you, but he really—”

“Look,” Rise interrupted him, smiling. “I may not have known him for very long, but trust me, Yu. Kanzeon let me do more than find people in the abyss, okay? She let me get a little peek into everyone’s hearts. She showed me what kind of people all of you really are, and showed me what everyone’s true feelings were during that battle.” Here, Rise stood up, wobbling for a second but easily finding her feet even with the unsteady forward motion of the wagon. She gestured to Kanji and Chie, several yards ahead on their horses, dutifully surveying the road and surrounding grassy fields. 

“She showed me that Kanji is really just a big softie under that tough exterior,” Rise began. “And that Chie is his best friend. And Chie loves someone more than she loves steak and kung fu and Inaba combined, and that’s Yukiko.” Yukiko blushed when Rise turned to her, but looked pleased. “And Yukiko, she showed me that you love Chie too, just as much. And that Yu is your closest friend after her, and that you would do just about anything to keep them both safe and happy.” Yukiko nodded, glancing first at Yu and then over at Chie with a smile. 

“And Naoto,” Rise said, turning in their direction. “I have to apologize. I’ve been assuming that you were a man this whole time. A cute man,” she said, with a wink. “But still a man, when you are neither a man nor a woman. My sincerest apologies.”

“A-apology accepted,” Naoto stammered, blushing so hard their entire face was red. As they were distracted, the wagon hit a particularly deep hole in the road, nearly making Rise fall back down into a sitting position, but Naoto was skillfully able to get the wagon back on an even course. “Um, sorry, everyone…”

“It’s my fault for distracting you!” Rise exclaimed, smirking over at Naoto, who very definitely kept looking at the road and avoided looking at her, though the redness had yet to leave their face. Yu couldn’t help marveling at it, having never seen Naoto lose their cool quite this badly in all the years he’d known them. 

“Did you look into my heart too, Rise??” Teddie asked, excitedly. Rise giggled.

“I did. And I wasn’t expecting you to _actually_ be a bear, Teddie, even after all Yosuke told me about you!” Rise answered. Teddie giggled.

“It’s un-bear-leavable, isn’t it? Hee hee!” he replied, looking pleased with his pun.

“I also saw how brave and kind you are, Teddie,” Rise continued. “And how much you really look up to Yosuke.” 

At last, she turned to Yu, who had turned around almost completely in his seat to face her.

“And, Yu, when I looked into your heart, I saw nothing but love. Love for all of the people here,” she said, gesturing both to the wagon and to Chie and Kanji on their horses. “Love for Nanako-chan, and your uncle, and for everyone in Inaba, even those insufferable old elders. And I saw just how much you’ve fallen in love with Yosuke over these past few days.” Yu nodded, looking apprehensive. “And when I looked into Yosuke’s heart, do you know what I saw? The same thing.” 

“...really?” Yu asked, after a beat of uncomprehending silence. Rise nodded and grinned.

“Really. He was smitten by you when you were Princess Yui, but when you pulled him out of the abyss and he saw your true form, Yu… It was almost indescribable. He fell _so hard_ for you.”

“Really?” Yu repeated, but couldn’t help looking pleased.

“Really,” Rise assured him. He nodded and turned to address Naoto.

“How are the horses, Naoto?” Yu asked.

“They seem to be doing just fine,” they answered. Yu nodded.

“Okay. Rise, keep us posted. If he doesn’t move after a few minutes, we should try to speed up to gain some ground on him,” Yu instructed. Naoto nodded.

* * *

Yosuke had been flying for the rest of the night and most of the morning before he was forced to stop. He’d grabbed some food and a waterskin on his way out of Inaba, but the waterskin had run out and needed refilling. He’d landed near a small river, intending only to take a short rest and get his bearings. He had absolutely no idea where he was or, really, where he was going aside from _away_. 

He’d been in the middle of taking a drink of water when he’d heard it, and nearly choked in surprise: the voice of his little brother, clearly audible, but sounding impossibly far away. 

“YOOOOOSUKE, STOOOPPP! WAIT FOR US!”

“Teddie?” Yosuke wheezed, but predictably got no response. He hadn’t been able to tell which direction the shout had come from, or even how far away he was, but now he knew that Teddie was looking for him...somewhere. He flew up above the trees on the carpet but didn’t see any sign of Teddie, as he suspected. Without being able to tell which direction the shout had come from, he knew there was no point in trying to find him. So, he stopped. He waited. And, in the relative quiet of the forest, he found that he could almost hear snippets of conversation, somehow carried to him on the wind. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but he could hear Teddie and Rise and talking, and sometimes even Yukiko and Naoto… and Yu. But there was no way Yu had left Inaba, right? And certainly not to come after him… right?

He had two choices: he could either keep going, keep running away, or he could stop and wait for them. He was exhausted, if he was being honest with himself, and he didn’t really want to leave Inaba. He turned to look at the carpet. He had been shocked, to say the least, when the carpet had flown into him and nearly bowled him over in the pre-dawn darkness earlier that day. The fact that it could still fly had been a shock, but the fact that it seemed to be somehow sentient was an even bigger surprise.

“Hey, uh, carpet, mind if I take a nap on you for a while?” he asked. The carpet bobbed up and down, which Yosuke took to mean that it was agreeing. “Okay. Thanks. Wake me up if anyone shows up, okay?” The carpet bobbed again, and then flew gently down to hover a few inches off of the ground. Yosuke fell asleep nearly as soon as he laid down.

When Yosuke had gone to sleep, the sun hadn’t quite been overhead. When he woke up, it was already nearly below the horizon to the west, and sunset was fast approaching. He’d been roused out of his peaceful, comfortable slumber by two separate things. One had been the carpet gently shaking him awake, and the other had been the nearby rumble of wagon wheels. He yawned and sat up, stretching his arms above his head with several audible pops, wincing in response. He tried his best to smooth down his hair that he could just tell had gotten messed up during his impromptu nap, and drank down several gulps of water from his waterskin before urging the carpet up, so that he could look in the direction of the rumbling that was getting steadily closer. 

He popped up above the canopy and spotted them almost immediately, a small wooden cart being pulled by two horses, with two other horses in front of the cart. Chie and Kanji were on the horses, Naoto appeared to be driving the cart, Rise, Teddie and Kanji were in the back of the cart, and sitting beside Naoto was… Yu. They were all still wearing the strange costumes from the battle the previous night, implying that they had left Inaba almost as soon as they could to come after Yosuke, which was...bizarre. Yosuke wasn’t important enough for two castle guards, two high ranking servants and the _prince of Inaba_ to chase after him! And yet here they were. Here they were! Yui… _Yu_ had left Inaba, perhaps in ruins, to come after _him_. Him! Yosuke Hanamura, a lowly thief that had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time… or maybe the right place at the right time? It was hard to know, really. Surely Yu himself wouldn’t have come along if they were chasing him down for some crime or another. And surely Teddie wouldn’t have been allowed to come along, either! If they were coming after him, _especially_ that particular selection of people, it was surely at Yu’s behest. 

Yosuke couldn’t help jumping to conclusions, despite how hard he tried to fight it. There was really only one reason Yu was here, chasing after him. He felt heat in his cheeks as he thought back to the writing lessons, the fishing lessons, sneaking into the palace to give back the pendant, the song, the romantic magic carpet ride, the kiss, the heart-stopping moment when he’d seen Yu get thrown over the edge of the castle roof, the horrified look on his face when Yu had watched him get pulled down into the abyss, the warmth and strength he’d felt when Yu had pulled him right back out…

Honestly, Yosuke had never considered being with a man before. It wasn’t like he was opposed to the idea or anything, but he’d never met a man that he liked more than the women of Inaba, even if they all rejected him. Long hair and soft smiles and gentle curves were much more his speed. Men just didn’t draw his attention the way that women did. Except for Yu, that is. And maybe he was at a particular disadvantage when it came to Yu, because he’d been absolutely smitten with Yui. It really was unfair, though, that someone could be so beautiful as a woman and so handsome as a man. It was strange, really. Yu was attractive to Yosuke in all the ways Yui hadn’t been: tall where she had been short, sharp and angular where she had been curved and smooth, firm where she had been soft. His eyes still burned with the same spirit that hers had, though, and he was just as bold and commanding as she had been. 

Still, Yosuke realized, even if he _did_ like Yu and even if Yu liked him, it still wasn’t going to work out, right? The elders had been so insistent that Yu had to marry a prince, before, so they were probably being just as insistent now that he had to marry a princess. The law was the law, right? And even if Yu intended on defying the law and marrying a prince, he had to marry a _prince_, didn’t he? Yes, Yosuke had made the wish, but all he was now was a pickpocket pretending to be a prince. He didn’t actually have a kingdom, he didn’t have the wealth and power to back up his claims, and he _certainly_ didn’t actually know what princes did or how they behaved. But the fact was, Yu had come all this way after him, even though Inaba was surely in chaos right now, and he didn’t think Yu would follow him so far away just to let him down gently. What was going on here? 

The cart was getting closer and closer. Yosuke heavily considered flying down and dropping in on them, literally, but he didn’t want to spook the horses and potentially get someone injured, so he opted to steer the carpet down, landing on the side of the road in front of where they were heading. If he was being honest, he also needed the extra time this afforded him to calm down and prepare himself. He tried his best to calm his thumping heartbeat as he started to hear the sounds of the horses and cart approaching. Predictably it was Teddie that called out to him first as they finally came into view, but to his amazement _all_ of them looked both happy and relieved to see him. Chie and Teddie he could understand, and even Kanji and Rise to an extent, but even Naoto and Yukiko looked relieved, despite the fact that they barely knew him. And Yu… Yu looked relieved, like he was actually happy to see him. Yosuke took another drink from his waterskin as he waited for the cart to approach, taking a few deep breaths to try to calm his nerves. 

Almost as soon as the cart had come to a stop, Teddie had scrambled out of it and had flung himself, literally, at Yosuke. The only reason they didn’t fall to the ground in a heap was that the carpet caught them, pushing Yosuke back onto his feet as Teddie wrapped himself around Yosuke’s taller frame.

“Oh Yosuke, I was beary worried!” Teddie cried.

“I missed you too, Teddie,” Yosuke wheezed. “But you’re beary much crushing my lungs…” With an overly dramatic sigh, Teddie released him, allowing him to take a few deep and exaggerated breaths. Rise arrived a moment later, looking happy to see him but also perplexed. Behind her, Yosuke could see everyone else working to tether the horses to nearby trees, making sure that they were enough out of the road that other carts could pass them if necessary.

“You stopped and waited for us,” Rise accused, and Yosuke nodded. “What made you change your mind?” 

“I heard Teddie yelling at me to stop and wait,” Yosuke explained. “And I couldn’t hear what you all were saying, but I could hear you, and I realized you were coming after me.” He noticed that Yu was slowly making his way toward them. He turned back to Rise. “And to be honest, I didn’t really want to leave. Inaba is my home, and I want to be there. Even if… even if I have to live with the heartbreak, I don’t want to be anywhere else.” Rise and Teddie both beamed up at him, and he nodded, knowing that had been the right answer.

* * *

Yu was nervous.

Despite how both Rise and Teddie had spent the last several hours in the cart telling him over and over that Yosuke really liked him — yes, even now when he was in his correct body — he still didn’t know _for sure_. Even though he could see with his own two eyes that Yosuke had stopped and waited for them… what if Rise was wrong? Worse what if Rise was _right_?

Yu stopped when he was just a few feet away from Yosuke, taking a deep breath and opening his mouth, but no words came out. He didn’t know what to say, or, rather, he didn’t know what to say _first_. He saw Rise and Teddie exchange a look, and they suddenly shoved a completely unaware Yosuke forward, causing him to stumble and nearly trip, but Yu reacted quickly and reached out, a steady hand on one of his shoulders keeping him upright.

“Thanks,” Yosuke breathed, looking up and meeting Yu’s eyes. Time seemed to stand still for a second, and Yu desperately wanted to close the distance between them and kiss him, but he restrained himself. He wasn’t _sure_, but the way Yosuke was looking at him was certainly helping to convince him that Rise had been right after all. 

“I—” he started, but abruptly stopped when he realized that Yosuke had started to say something, too, and had also abruptly stopped. They were both quiet for a moment, undoubtedly waiting for the other to continue. 

“You go—” Yu said, at the same time that Yosuke said “Listen, I—” 

They both abruptly stopped again, a grin breaking out on Yosuke’s face that Yu quickly mirrored, and they both laughed. Yu realized that he hadn’t removed his hand from Yosuke’s shoulder yet, and gave the shoulder a squeeze, dropping his hand. Yosuke took that as Yu intended it — a silent invitation to go first — and straightened up his slouching posture, looking slightly up at Yu.

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re about to say, but I have something I need to get off my chest first, okay?” Yosuke said, and Yu nodded for him to continue. “I don’t know what you came all this way to tell me but no matter what it is... I’m gonna go back to Inaba. Even if I have to see you prancing around the city with some princess on your arm every day, I’d still rather be there than anywhere else in the world.” He took a deep breath. “Okay. Lay it on me. I’m ready for whatever you’re gonna tell me.”

Yu still couldn’t find the words, so he just grabbed the sides of Yosuke’s face and kissed him instead. For a long, agonizing moment Yu thought for sure he’d messed up, that Rise was wrong after all… but then he felt arms around his shoulders and Yosuke pulled him closer and started to reciprocate. He was shaking when they finally pulled away from each other, nerves and hope and adrenaline all crashing through him and making him dizzy. Yosuke had kind of a weird, sad smile on his face, and that confused Yu enough that he forgot what he was going to say.

“O-okay,” Yosuke said, his voice shaking a little. “I never saw myself being a… what’s the word for a male concubine? Is there a word? Anyway, I never thought I’d be a concubine, but, y’know, there are worse things I could be,” he babbled. Yu frowned. Where had he gotten _that_ idea?

“I don’t want you to be my _concubine_, Yosuke,” Yu replied.

“Eh?” Yosuke asked, looking completely bewildered.

“I want you to be my husband,” Yu continued, and he could barely contain the glee that rushed through him, getting to say the word ‘husband’ out loud.

“But, the law!” Yosuke protested.

“The elders have been badgering me to marry a prince for six years now,” Yu pointed out.

“Okay, but surely you’ve gotta marry an _actual _prince,” Yosuke said. “Something I’m _not_.”

“Technically, you _are_ a prince,” Rise spoke up, and they both looked over to where she and Teddie had sat down on the grass and were watching with rapt attention. “Your kingdom just doesn’t exist.” 

“B-but I—” Yosuke tried to protest, but Yu reached down and took both of his hands, and he helplessly looked back up at Yu.

“Let me ask you something,” Yu said, and he couldn’t contain his giddiness, hearing it leaking out into his words as he spoke. “Yosuke, Prince of Hanamura, will you marry me?” 

“Yes,” Yosuke replied, looking up at him like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. “Of course I will, Yu.” Yu grinned and pulled him into another kiss, and this one Yosuke reciprocated almost immediately. One kiss turned into several kisses. They only broke apart when Rise and Teddie loudly started cat-calling and telling them to get a room. 

“Come on,” Yu said, taking Yosuke’s hand and gently tugging him toward the cart. “It’s a long ride back to Inaba, and we’ve got a wedding to plan.”

They made it back to Inaba the next morning, finding the town still as wounded as it had been from Izanami’s attacks, but the people were all faring quite a bit better than they had been. Dojima had done an excellent job at rallying the people, and rebuilding efforts were already in place. Relief supplies were starting to pour in from the neighborhood towns and villages, Port Tatsumi providing a large amount of it.

Before the elders could change their minds, Yu and Yosuke were married in a hastily thrown-together ceremony with ill-fitting clothes (especially Yu’s) and basically no food or decorations. The entire town attended, most out of sheer curiosity, shocked that the princess was actually a prince and that he was marrying _Yosuke_, who most of the town knew to be a thief with hardly a coin to his name. Had he been a prince all along, they wondered? A rumor got spread around the town that a distant relative had died and made him the new Lord of a faraway town called Hanamura, and that seemed to sate their curiosity. 

Six months later they had another, more proper ceremony. Once again the entire town was in attendance, but many other people were there as well, including Lady Kirijo and the Arisato twins and their entire entourage, young Prince Amada and his caretakers, the Lord of Suou and his husband, and nobles from far and wide. Also in attendance were Margaret and her sister, accompanied by a short man with a very long nose. 

While still very under construction, Inaba was on a fast track to recovery from the catastrophe. Supplies, money and volunteers kept pouring into Inaba for months after the fall of the mountain, most from nearby cities like Port Tatsumi and Arisato, but some from even as far away as Toudou and the Suou clan. 

Yu directed the cleanup and rebuilding efforts wonderfully, like the Lord his friends and family knew he had always been meant to be. It earned him the adoration of the townsfolk and the grudging respect of the council of elders. He also forged alliances with all of the nearby cities, most notably Port Tatsumi’s Lady Kirijo. They formed the Tatsumi-Inaba alliance, taking the small and vulnerable city of Amada under their protection. There are rumors that the young prince is smitten by a certain pigtailed princess of Inaba, but that probably had something to do with how often the young prince and his caretakers visited Inaba. 

Once the rebuilding efforts looked like they were nearing completion, Captain Sanada announced his retirement from the castle guards of Inaba, promoting Kanji to his former position. He left accompanied by the Arisato twins, and would continue to make quite common visits to Inaba with them over the years.

Yukiko was relieved of her duties as handmaiden to the princess, on account of there no longer being a princess. She instead took over the operation of the Amagi Inn from her aging mother. She and Chie continued to date, surprisingly absolutely no one that actually knew the two of them. 

Teddie continued to live in the palace. All of the guards and staff were informed that he was in fact a bear, but continued to not believe it until he decided to play pranks. One of his pranks scared a cook so badly that she moved to another city.

Rise lived in Inaba until the town was mostly rebuilt, before commandeering a wagon and taking off for parts unknown, saying she wanted to see the rest of the world, or at least the rest of Japan. It is said that she is still out there, peddling her wares and singing songs and weaving tales, even to this day…

“And that, my dear audience, is where my tale comes to an end,” Rise finished, sweeping into a bow and holding it as the audience clapped and cheered. Sojiro watched, amused, as Akira and Futaba both leapt to their feet and raced up to the story-teller, along with a handful of the other kids.

“Miss Rise, Miss Rise!” Akira exclaimed, insistently.

“Yes? Did you have a question?” she asked, leaning down to address him. He nodded, vigorously.

“Mm hmm! Lots!” he answered. “Um, what happened to Prince Yu and Prince Yosuke after that?” 

“Why, they lived happily ever after, of course!” Rise answered, with a giggle. 

“What was the deal with that Ryoji guy?” the younger Nijima daughter asked.

“Why didn’t Yu just kick out all the elders?” Okumura’s daughter asked.

“Why was Adachi still able to use magic after it got wished that he couldn’t?” the Sakamoto child asked.

“That was ‘cause Izanami was possessing him!” Futaba answered, looking proud of herself. Rise nodded and started to speak, but Akira interrupted her, pointing to something in the stall behind her.

“Hey, is that the lamp?” he asked, excited. “It is, isn’t it! How much is it??” 

“It’s not for sale, I’m afraid,” Rise said, walking the few steps over to her cart and plucking an ornate golden thing off of one of the shelves. It didn’t look like any lamp Sojiro had ever seen, but it certainly fit the description of the lamp from her story, even down to the purple gems in it. 

“Aww, why not?” the Takamaki daughter asked. Rise giggled.

“I can’t sell it because it means so much to me! It was my house for a long time, after all!” she said. The crowd of children were momentarily awed into silence, before launching into pleas to hold the lamp, or asking if she could do magic, or if she was really a genie. 

For a moment, just a moment, Sojiro had believed her entirely. He’d really believed that she really had lived in that lamp for thousands of years, that she really was a genie that had been freed, that her fantastical tale of sorcery and bravery and love had _really_ actually happened. 

But Sojiro considered himself a learned man, and he had never once heard of a place called Inaba. Or Port Tatsumi, or a Samegawa River, and certainly not a fake kingdom called Hanamura. He felt a little foolish for having believed her for even a second. She was quite a good story-teller, and an even better sales woman, but ultimately that was all.

“I promise, I’ll be back with another tale tomorrow, children!” Rise exclaimed and the crowd of children cheered… and even some adults did, too.

“Will you tell us more about Yu and Yosuke?” the Kitagawa child asked. Rise shook her head.

“Their story is over! I told you, they lived happily ever after!” Rise replied. Some of the kids looked put out at that, but Akira and Futaba looked satisfied by that outcome, at least. Sojiro started to wonder if he could convince Sakamoto’s mother to take Akira and Futaba here tomorrow, so Sojiro wouldn’t have to come himself. 

Maybe five minutes after he had returned to his humble little coffee shop, apron on and coffee percolating, the bell above his door chimed and Sojiro looked up to see a short, blue-haired man walk in. Blue hair wasn’t exactly uncommon in these parts, the Kitagawa child had naturally blue hair after all...but the stranger’s entire demeanor gave Sojiro pause. He took the young man’s order for coffee and curry and kept an eye on him. He certainly matched the description the storyteller had given of the person named Naoto Shirogane. 

Apparently Akira and Futaba thought so as well, because both Sojiro and the blue-haired stranger noticed them peeking around the back door and talking in hushed whispers.

“Sorry about them, they’re bored and curious,” Sojiro apologized, but the stranger just laughed it off.

“It’s alright,” the stranger replied. He turned to fully face the children. “You don’t have to hide, children. If you have a question, you can ask.”

“Um!” Akira started, emerging from the door with Futaba clinging to his back, her small face peeking over a shoulder. “Are you Naoto?” 

“Ah, you’ve heard Rise’s tale of the magic lamp, have you?” Naoto replied, with another laugh. 

“So you are?!” Futaba demanded, and when Naoto nodded, the two of them rushed over to sit beside Naoto.

“Be polite to our guest, you two,” Sojiro warned.

“Right! Sorry!” Akira exclaimed, without even so much as looking at him. Sojiro shook his head with a sigh. “So, that story Miss Rise told today, how much of it was true?!”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that,” Naoto replied with a wink. “It’s a secret. But, you know, there are many unexplainable things in this world.”

“Is Miss Rise really a genie?” Futaba asked. Naoto took a long, possibly purposefully long, sip of their coffee.

“Perhaps she is, perhaps she isn’t,” Naoto finally answered. 

“Aww, come on!” Akira groaned.

“Please give us a straight answer!” Futaba insisted, but Naoto shook their head.

“At least tell us if Inaba is a real place!” Akira continued.

“Now _that_ I can answer,” Naoto replied. “It is quite far away, but yes, Inaba is a real place. If you happen to have a map, I can even point to where it is!”

“So if Inaba is a real place, why are you all the way out here?” Futaba asked. “Don’t you have work to do?”

“I am on a vacation with Rise,” Naoto informed them, before taking another drink of their coffee. 

The children kept asking question after question, and Naoto kept giving suitably cryptic responses until they were finished with their drink and meal. 

“Okay, kids, that’s enough,” Sojiro finally interrupted the steady onslaught of questions. 

“I am glad you enjoyed Rise’s story,” Naoto finally said, waving to Akira and Futaba. “And I hope you’ll be back tomorrow to hear another one.” 

“We will!” the kids replied in unison. The two of them dashed back toward the door, no doubt to go and boast about their encounter to the other neighborhood kids. Sojiro was surprised to find himself looking forward to the next day’s performance, even though he would need to close the shop down to go and see it. He didn’t mind, actually. The lady was one hell of a storyteller, after all.

**THE END**

**Author's Note:**

> New chapters every Monday!


End file.
